B-I-N-G-O

Joel and Aimee and Kris and I enjoyed a very Senior experience yesterday. We dined at Top-O-Hill Restaurant, the local greasy spoon, and then we ventured to the Canby Adult Center for a rousing evening of BINGO. We were like a siphon on the poor oldsters’ winnings. We weren’t the youngest of the thirty-seven players, but we were close to it. Amy Ratzlaf would have said of the population: “Their average age is deceased.”

Kris paid $16 to play (a buy-in pack, a blackout pack, and a dauber), I paid $21 to play (a buy-in pack, an extra pack, a blackout pack, and a dauber), and Joel and Aimee each paid $13 to play (a buy-in pack and a dauber each). Our party paid $63 to play BINGO.

Here are the rules for last night’s BINGO Extravaganza:

Player must BINGO on the last number called.

It is the player’s responsibility to yell BINGO loud enough for the attendant to hear.

Permanent-type makers must be used on all games.

No smoking.

Players must display buy-in receipt at all times.

Each player must purchase his own buy-in packs.

You must purchase a minimum of one pack to be seated.

Splitting a pack is prohibited and will invalidate any winner.

The numbers on the flashboard are for the player’s convenience only.

In case of multiple winners of a game, the published payout will be divided equally among the winners and may be rounded up to the nearest dollar.

Door prize tickets may not be altered.

The Canby Adult Center will not be responsible for lost cards, buy-in receipts, or personal property.

Please keep noise and talking to a minimum while games are in progress.

All BINGO rules will be administered and all disputes settled by the floor manager, whose decision is final.

Thank you and Good Luck.

Things began inauspiciously. The first round was large-picture frame BINGO. We misunderstood the hostess: we thought we got all of the border squares for free, so the four of us blotted them out. Oops. Turns out those border squares weren’t free; they were our objective — those were the squares we needed to fill to claim BINGO. The grandmas were sizing us up as easy marks.

Things looked brighter quickly, though, as I claimed a share of the prize in the large picture frame round. My half of the winnings was $8.40.

The next few rounds, regular BINGO all of them, were rather frantic. Because I’d bought two packs of cards (each pack contains six cards per round), I had twice as much daubing to do each time a number was called. Plus, for the first half of the night, I had trouble detecting the seven standard patterns that allow a person to win at regular BINGO. My companions did not, however; Joel won $18.75 during one round, and Kris and Aimee were two of four winners during another round, each winning $4.75. I did manage to be one of three winners during one of the final BINGO rounds, adding $6.25 to my winnings.

The highlight of the evening, for me, was Bonanza Blackout BINGO. For $1, players could purchase special BINGO cards from Charles, an amiable big bearded fellow roaming the hall with a money belt and a fistful of BINGO cards. There was a special board posted in the back of the hall on which 45 of the 75 numbers were already “called” — these numbers could be marked off the Bonanza Blackout cards. Then, when the games was played, if a person had blackout within the first five draws, he won $300. If he had blackout on the sixth draw, he won $75; on the seventh draw, $25; on the eighth draw or later, $20. If, when you purchased your card, you didn’t like your odds, you could trade in for a new card for only fifty cents.

Joel and Aimee bought a couple of dollars worth of cards. Kris bought a single card. I bought two cards, and then kept trading them in for new ones. Then I bought another card. And another. I had four cards when the game began, including one that wanted only five numbers to win. I did win the game (and $20), but I did it with a different card, one that needed eight numbers at the start.

Of the sixteen BINGO games played, our youthful table had winning shares in six of them, including the Bonanza Blackout.

At the end of the evening, our balances stood like this:

Player	Paid	Won	Net
J.D.	$27	$34.65	$7.65
Joel	$14	$18.75	$4.75
Aimee	$14	$ 4.75	($9.25)
Kris	$17	$ 4.75	($12.25)
Total	$72	$62.90	($9.10)

So, on average we spent $2.28 each for three hours of BINGO. That’s a bargain!

After the games, Joel took us up to look at the BINGO machine. It’s quite a contraption, but I couldn’t help thinking that everything could have been accomplished with a simple BASIC-program on an ancient PC.

Comments

On 09 November 2003 (10:44 PM),
dowingba said:

Don’t trust random number generators (which is what the BASIC program would be based on). They aren’t actually random…

On 10 November 2003 (07:40 AM),
Joel said:

Charles was a hoot. Although he had those giant scary mechanic thumbs and an unfortunate tendency to loom silently, he really took us under his wing. At one point he sat down and explained Bonanza Bingo to us: “There are two strategies. You want to get a card that needs the fewest numbers to win. [Laborious explanation further illuminating that remark ensues] Of course, I’ve seen ladies here [dismissively indicating the table in front of us] sit on one number the whole round and not win, and I’ve seen ladies who need ten numbers win.”
Me: “So it’s all just chance.”
Charles: “No, you want to get a card that needs the fewest numbers to win.”
He never told us the second strategy for Bonanza Bingo, a secret he may well take to his grave.

On 10 November 2003 (08:54 AM),
J.D. said:

Kris reminded me that I forgot to note the following:

At the beginning of the night, the assembled BINGOers were asked to vote on the issue of whether youth should be continued to allowed at the games. The four of us fidgeted in our seats. Did that mean us? Were they calling this vote because we’d crashed some geriatric funbinge? We were given little slips of paper from which we were to choose:

No youth.
Youth good.
Sure, let in youth over ____.

I voted for youth over ten, Kris for youth over eighteen. How were the other people in the room voting?

In the end, the anti-youth measure failed miserably. And later in the evening, several actual youth joined us: some kids came in and joined their parents.

It was an awkward moment, though, when we thought we were being chastised for joining the fun. Of course, if they could have forseen our drain on the coffers, they might have opted to kick us out right there! :)

On 10 November 2003 (09:21 AM),
Kris said:

Jd is lying. He didn’t vote on the youth issue. Instead, he passed his ballot to me for a “proxy vote”. I voted for “youth over 9” on both ballots. True, if you take the sum, it does turn out to be 18, but I would never deny youth between 10 & 18 the many pleasures of BINGO. Under ten, the little snots can go play Old Maid.

On 10 November 2003 (04:00 PM),
Tiffany said:

Can I come next time, sound like fun?

On 10 November 2003 (05:30 PM),
Denise said:

If you have your own dobber, can you bring it, or do you have to buy one there?

Do they have snacks? :)

Old Friends

Kris took yesterday off to can tomatoes with Jenn. Both were inundated by ripe tomatoes, and with the onset of the rain there was danger that the fruit would swell and burst and become generally less useful. Mostly they canned Jenn’s salsa. Kris picked some of my Super Hot Thai peppers from our garden. Part of her day was spent cutting these (and, if I know Jenn, de-seeding them before use). By the evening, Kris’ hands burned from the accumulated pepper oils. She rubbed lotion on them. She soaked them in a bowl of ice. She put more lotion on them. She slept with an icepack in her hands. Poor Kris!

For dinner, Kris made chicken pot pie. As we were eating, Jenn asked me how my knee was doing.

“Ah, not so well today,” I said. “Physical therapy was painful. My knee hurts.”

General sympathy. Kris noted that for the first two months after my surgery I was diligent about my rehabilitation, doing every exercise that was required of me. Then, one day, I just gave up. Now my recovery is behind, and it’s because my mental fortitude just isn’t there.

“Tyler asked me how my home exercises were going,” I said. “I lied to him. I told him that they’re going okay. I told him that I don’t do them every day but that I do them.”

The conversation continued.

A bit later, Hank interrupted: “Why did you lie?” His mind was back several sentences, parsing the fact that for some reason I’d lied.

Jeremy smacked me upside the head. Hard. “J.D. lied because he is a bad person,” he said.

“He shouldn’t have lied,” Jenn said.

“It was wrong of me to lie,” I said.

Sometimes I forget that the kids are there, you know?

When I was a kid, it seemed that my parents listened to the same records again and again. (Actually, it was Dad that listened to them; I can’t remember whether Mom liked them, too. Maybe she’ll share.) Long before Abba, Neil Diamond and Simon and Garfunkel were popular in our house.

(We lived in Portland until I was two. Sometime before we moved back to the ancestral homestead, Dad checked out a bunch of books and records from the Portland Public Library: lots of books on boat-building, and a couple of Neil Diamond records, including the Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack. We moved to Canby and the library materials moved with us. Dad never returned them.)

My earliest memory of Simon and Garfunkel is hazy, and probably only resembles the factual truth in a small way. It was a sunny spring Sunday afternoon and I was in Mom and Dad’s bedroom, lying on the bed. I was listening to Simon and Garfunkel’s Greatest Hits (the only album of theirs that Dad ever owned). Was somebody listening with me? I don’t remember.

I do remember that when “Cecilia” began to play I stood up and jumped around the bed, singing at the top of my lungs. For a long time after I would throw my four- or five-year-old enthusiasm into the lyrics of that song:

Cecilia

Cecilia, you’re breaking my heart
You’re shaking my confidence daily
Oh, Cecilia, I’m down on my knees
I’m begging you please to come home
Come on home

Making love in the afternoon with Cecilia
Up in my bedroom
I got up to wash my face
When I come back to bed
Someone’s taken my place

Cecilia, you’re breaking my heart
You’re shaking my confidence daily
Oh, Cecilia, I’m down on my knees
I’m begging you please to come home
Come on home

Jubilation, she loves me again,
I fall on the floor and I’m laughing,
Jubilation, she loves me again,
I fall on the floor and I’m laughing

I hadn’t the faintest idea what I was singing. (By way of contrast: last night Hank was teaching me Veggie Tales songs: “On the first day of firt grade etc. etc, on the second day of second grade etc. etc.” I wonder how long until he starts jumping around singing about making love with Cecilia in his bedroom.)

That greatest hits album was a fixture of my youth, of my adolescence, of my young adulthood. It has become a part of me.

It had never occurred to me that they had anything other than a greatest hits album. Midway through high school, during one of many Sunday afternoons spent with the Kauffman girls (one f or two, Kristin?), I stumbled upon their father’s collection of Simon and Garfunkel records. On my next trip to Tower Records, I bought copies for myself.

I can remember sitting in Mr. Sprague’s first-period chemistry class, listening to Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme (still my favorite Simon and Garfunkel album) on my Walkman while doing molar equations.

At the time, my favorite Simon and Garfunkel song was “The Dangling Conversation” (though it actually seems a bit pretentious now):

The Dangling Conversation

It’s a still life water color,
Of a now late afternoon,
As the sun shines through the curtain-lace
And shadows wash the room.

And we sit and drink our coffee,
Couched in our indifference,
Like shells upon the shore:
You can hear the ocean roar
In the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs —
The borders of our lives.

And you read your Emily Dickinson,
And I my Robert Frost,
And we note our place with bookmarkers
That measure what we’ve lost.

Like a poem poorly written,
We are verses out of rhythm,
Couplets out of rhyme,
In syncopated time
And the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
Are the borders of our lives.

Yes, we speak the things that matter,
With words that must be said,
“Can analysis be worthwhile?”
“Is the theater really dead?”

And how the room is softly faded
And I only kiss your shadow,
I cannot feel your hand,
You’re a stranger now unto me—
Lost in the dangling conversation
And the superficial sighs,
In the borders of our lives.

Once I was at a girlfriend’s house. Her parents were gone, and we were making out on the couch while watching public television. The Simon and Garfunkel Concert in Central Park came on and suddenly I lost interest in the girl. I was enthralled by the music. (I think the girl was actually somewhat relieved!)

My sense of nostalgia first became honed in college as I came to realize how much I missed my friends from the church youth group. When I was feeling especially wistful, I would listen to “Old Friends”:

Old Friends

Old friends.
Old friends
Sit on their park bench
Like bookends.

A newspaper blown through the grass
Falls on the round toes
On the high shoes
Of the old friends.

Old friends,
Winter companions,
The old men
Lost in their overcoats,
Waiting for the sunset.

The sounds of the city,
Sifting through the trees,
Settle like dust
On the shoulders
Of the old friends.

Can you imagine us
Years from today,
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange
To be seventy.

Old friends,
Memory brushes the same years.
Silently sharing the same fear—

Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel went their separate ways more than thirty years ago. Though their relationship has not been nearly as fractious as the press would have us believe, their joint appearances have been infrequent and, occasionally, unhappy.

Now it seems as if the duo is ready to perform together again for an extended tour. Today they announced plans for a thirty-city tour which includes a stop in Portland.

I don’t care about the cost, I don’t care about the date: I will be at that show.

Ack.

Not to be outdone, Berkeley Breathed has announced plans to return to the world of comic strips with the debut of Opus on November 23rd.

The world has not been the same since Bloom County ended. Though I liked Outland some, it was a pale ghost of its predecessor. I’m even tempted to pay ten bucks to view the entire run of the original strip. (I can remember sitting in the library at Ackerman Junior High School during the fall of 1982, leafing through the first Bloom County collection with Dave Carlson and Andrew Parker and Mitch Sherrard and the rest of the geeks.)

Don’t snort the dandelions!

Comments

On 10 September 2003 (08:15 AM),
Tiffany said:

You deserved the smack in the head.
I want to see S&G too.

On 10 September 2003 (10:35 AM),
Kristin said:

Two f’s. At least you confessed and admitted you shouldn’t have lied. Harrison is learning the truth: sometimes adults do things they shouldn’t do. Children keep us accountable.

On 10 September 2003 (10:36 AM),
Kris said:

I most certainly should have accepted Jenn’s offer of gloves!

To be technically correct (true), however, I didn’t take the day off. I’m working my forty hours this week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. I just arranged to have Tuesday be my day off. For those who don’t know, I am currently able to work a 4 day, 10-hour shift schedule at the lab. I highly recommend it!

On 10 September 2003 (12:12 PM),
Mom said:

Your dad and I shared pretty much the same taste in music while you were growing up, J.D. He was the one who was most likely to buy the albums we listened to, though, because I was too busy with domestic concerns to really get involved in that process or to figure out if there were other kinds of music that I liked better. I have always loved Simon and Garfunkel, still do, although I have never liked the words to Cecelia (or Mrs. Robinson, for that matter). I differed with your dad on Crystal Gayle, too; he really liked her but I didn’t care for her all that much. I especially thought the song Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue was dumb. :-) Abba was okay and I liked Neil Diamond, although I find both of those quite irritating now in my old age. :-)

On 10 September 2003 (12:20 PM),
J.D. said:

I have never liked the words to Cecelia (or Mrs. Robinson, for that matter).

Ha!

That’s right. I’d forgotten that you didn’t like “Mrs. Robinson”. It used to be that when I played the record, you wouldn’t let me listen to that song. I heard it plenty anyway, of course (a mother can’t always be around), but I could never figure out what was so bad about it, even when I got older:

Mrs. Robinson

And here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know,
Woe, woe, woe

God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey

We’d like to know a little bit about you for our files
We’d like to help you learn to help yourself
Look around you all you see are sympathetic eyes
Stroll around the grounds until you feel at home

And here’s to you Mrs. Robinson
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woe, woe, woe

God bless you, please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey

Hide it in a hiding place where no one ever goes
Put it in your pantry with your cupcakes
It’s a little secret just the Rovinson’s affair
Most of all you’ve got to hide it from the kids

Coo, coo, cachoo Mrs. Robinson,
Jesus loves you more than you will know
Woe, woe, woe

God bless you please, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who pray
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon
Going to the candidate’s deate
Laugh about it, shout about it,
When you’ve got to choose
Ev’ryway you look at it you lose

Where have you gone, Joe Dimagio?
A nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Woo woo woo

Whats that you say Mrs. Robinson?
Joltin’ Joe has left and gone away.
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey

I still don’t know what the hell that song is about, but I remember that you didn’t want me to listen to it. In retrospect, that may have had more to do with the film from which it came than with the lyrics themselves. :)

On 10 September 2003 (01:26 PM),
Tammy said:

I was told once by a man I was dating that Mrs. Robinson was about a married woman who had an affair and was trying to hide it. Could that be why your mother didn’t like the song? I never could understand it either but I just accepted this guys interpretation of it. I don’t know. Maybe he was way out in left field.

On 10 September 2003 (01:55 PM),
Mom said:

I think my dislike for Mrs. Robinson was (and is) largely because of the movie. Yes, it was about an older woman having an affair with a much younger man, and being very blase about it. Also, the part about “Jesus loves you more than you will know” struck me as being very facetious and almost sacreligious because I was sure Simon and Garfunkel didn’t seriously believe in a strict Christian life (many of their other songs didn’t go along with the Mormon version of Christianity that I believed then). I’m not sure what I was trying to protect you from in not letting you listen to the song unless it was these aspects of it. I don’t remember doing that, but then I have some pretty significant memory lapses regarding those longer-ago days. A parent’s protective urges aren’t always logical. :-)

On 10 September 2003 (04:51 PM),
Nikchick said:

Funny you would write so much about Simon and Garfunkel today. Having recently returned from my original homeland of northern Minnesota, I spent a lot of time listening to the songs of my youth on the “Classics” radio station while riding up to the memorial with my dad. In particular, Kodachrome came on the radio, hit me upside the head with nostalgia, and has been stuck in my brain for days since.

No idea why, it’s really kind of a dumb little song, but it had its way with me anyway.

On 05 November 2003 (11:06 PM),
Cecilia said:

i think it’s soooo cute that u used to sing ‘Cecilia’ as a child. I’m 15 and my parents bought me their greatest hits so i could aprreciate why people said i was braking their hearts. ok so its not thier best song, but its still fantastic and having the same name is even better. I just wrote to say you were pretty darn cool. cya

Musical Interlude

Kris and I joined Jeremy and Jennifer and Harrison and Emma last night to hear the Oregon Symphony play at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Thousands of people turned out to sit on blankets, lounging in the warmth of the late summer evening, eating picnic dinners as the symphony played Dvorak, Mozart, and Beethoven. The final number was Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, complete with cannons. After the concert, a barge on the Willamette River launched a marvelous fireworks show. It was a great evening.

The kids were fun. Emma spent much of the night coloring. She wanted help, though, and she kept handing me crayons and saying, “You’re missing all the fun. You’re gonna miss all the fun, J.D.” I didn’t want to miss all the fun, so I colored with her. It was fun.

Later, I ate a cookie. Or three. Emma wasn’t interested in sharing a cookie until she noticed the colored sugar on top. “Can I have a taste of that sugar?” she asked, her eyes filled with greed. I gave her a cookie of her own but she didn’t eat it; she just licked off the colored sugar in great swipes of her three-year-old-tongue. (Okay, technically she’s only two, but she’s getting close to three — here are stories about another girl who is two-and-three-quarters.)

Harrison was fun, too. He’s nearly five now, and he’s curious about the world around him: he was reading a children’s atlas when Jeremy and I reached the park. He asks lots of questions about trees and animals and people.

The orchestra’s first piece was Holst’s “Mars, Bringer of War” from The Planets. Hank had just seen Mars in the sky the night before (and how amazing was that? &mdsah; did you all see it?), and Jeremy tried to explain to him that the music was written about the planet. The “Bringer of War” thing confused Hank, though, so we tried to explain what that meant. It was difficult. Jeremy and Jennifer are trying to raise Harrison to worship the Christian god (a point on which I try to stay neutral with Hank when the issue arises, as it does from time-to-time; I don’t want to undermine what Jeremy and Jennifer are teaching, yet I’m not going to affirm something that I don’t believe, either — it’s a fine line to walk!). How does one explain to a five-year-old that Mars was the god of war for a group of people that lived thousands of years ago. That’s a bit abstract for a five-year-old, I think. Give him a couple of years.

Later, as the light was fading and the stars beginning to shine (and Mars was hanging low in the southeastern sky), Hank and I talked a bit about astronomy and atmospheric conditions.

“What causes a rainbow?” I asked him.

He knew, of course, because at this age he knows everything, and what he doesn’t know, he’s willing to make up on the spot. “Well, when the clouds come together and get really hard and fluffy after it rains, then it makes a rainbow.”

“And how big is a rainbow?” I asked.

“Forty-five miles up into the sky!” he shouted, jumping high to emphasize his point.

I love those kids.

The CD that Jesus gave me the other day is pretty damn good. It turns out it is from an Italian pop singer, a guy named Eros Ramazzotti. This particular album, Eros, has earned glowing reviews at Amazon (five stars in 41 reviews). Here’s an apt description of the album:

Eros marks a new chapter in the Italian singer and composer Eros Ramazzotti’s ever-growing international career. Offering a wider spectrum of Ramazzotti’s musicianship and the combination of well-crafted compositions and outstanding performances, the album is a great work of serious contemporary pop music. The CD covers different rhythmic feels, reaching its climax with “Le Cose Della Vita,” a song that perfectly suits Ramazzotti’s talent. His vocal style is one of the trademark qualities of the whole collection: a nasal, simply recognizable approach with a lot of intimacy and a great sense of expression that find its roots in the great tradition of the Italian bel canto. Eros offers the right balance between the important melodic Italian tradition and the complexity of today’s international pop music. Truly one of the most important releases on today’s European pop scene, ready to find its own place in the American market.

Last night as we were driving home Kris commented that one of the songs sounded like Tina Turner. I dismissed her remark out of hand. Tina Tuner? Ha! Oops. Turns out that one of the songs, “Cosas de la Vida/Can’t Stop Thinking About You”, does include a duet with Tina Turner. Another song, “Musica e”, a gorgeous theatrical piece ten-minutes long, features a duet with Andrea Bocelli.

My favorite song, though, is “L’Aurora”. I’ve been listening to it again and again. It features a perfect mid-1980s power pop song that I’ll be a sucker for all of my life. It could be a ballad by Heart or Boston or Jefferson Starship if it weren’t in Italian. I’ve uploaded a low-quality mp3 of the song (~1.3mb) for you to hear (though at this quality much of the song’s lushness has been lost).

Apparently, like many European pop singers, Eros records versions of his songs in different languages. Earlier I had the Italian lyrics of the song posted, but the version I have (and love) has Spanish lyrics:

La Aurora
by Eros Ramazzotti

Yo no se si me sucedera sue�os que se hagan realidad
como el que hoy tengo en mi corazon latente
desde que esta

Tal vez este permanecera sue�o que se haga realidad
como los que estoy dibujando entre mis canciones
y ya que estan mientras esten
no dejare de so�ar un poco mas

Sera, sera, la Aurora sera, sera, asi

como pasear como respirar un nuevo aroma
y mas aun

Y tu, y tu, mi vida
veras, que pronto volveras a estas manos que, seran

Y si ya que todo a cambiado
un cereno en torno se vera has oido bien
puede que haya nuevos horizontes
sabes por que, sabes por que, no dejare

de so�ar un poco mas una y otra vez
no muere nunca las cosas que estan en ti
si lo has creido una ves tu podras segir
si lo has creido en serio, como lo he creido yo, yo…

Sera, sera la Aurora sera, sera, asi
sera, la claridad que asoma una inmensa luz vendra

Sera, sera, la Aurora sera, sera, asi
sera la claridad que asoma una inmensa luz vendra

Sera la claridad que asoma una inmensa luz vendra
Una inmensa luz vendraI don’t know what that means, but I love the song!

Comments

On 29 August 2003 (12:28 PM),
dowingba said:

What Beethoven song(s) did they play?

On 29 August 2003 (12:32 PM),
J.D. said:

A description of the program can be found at the bottom of this page. They played the first movement of Beethoven’s fifth sympony.

When I was in college, the Oregon Symphony would play on campus several times a year. I loved to go. It was cheap then, though — maybe five bucks a performance. I’m not sure I could afford to drive to Portland to see the symphony on a regular basis now.

On 29 August 2003 (12:51 PM),
J.D. said:

Last night we discussed how much it cost to attend the symphony. None of us was really sure. Subscription information for the Oregon Symphony can be found here. Basically, to see them at the Schnitz costs between $15 and $30 per performance depending on your preferred times and seats. The symphony plays a reduced schedule at Willamette. I’m not sure how much the Salem concerts cost; that information doesn’t seem to be available online.

(Ah! I found another electronic device that allows communication: a telephone! Unfortunately the woman with whom I spoke seemed pre-occupied. She’s mailing me complete information. She was able to tell me that the minimum ticket price is $17 per concert. Since the Willamette concert halls are much smaller than the Schnitz, this is not a bad deal at all. Maybe I can convince Kris to join me for a couple of performances this year.)

On 30 August 2003 (07:12 AM),
dowingba said:

Symphony #5…phht, how predictable.

On 30 August 2003 (10:27 PM),
dowingba said:

That arnold schwarzennegger link up there, about gay marriage between a man and a woman: I guarantee that is doctored. That isn’t a normal mp3 burp there. It’s so obviously a cut and paste job…

Prove me wrong, JD, because you know how much I like to hate republicans…

On 30 August 2003 (11:25 PM),
J.D. said:

Well, I’m pretty sure it’s real. The stuff in the middle of Arnold’s sentence is just the interviewer trying to get a word in. More infor can be found here (including a link to the complete interview, I think).

I don’t hate Republicans any more than I hate Democrats. On average. They’re all a bunch of hoodlums, in my opinion. As I’ve mentioned before, I generally don’t pay much attention to national politics (though I really really hate the current President, and think he’s an incompetent moron), and most certainly don’t care about another state’s governor. If the Californians want to elect Arnold, that’s their business. I have nothing against him, and don’t want to take the time to be come informed enough to develop something against him (or for him), especially since his governorship won’t affect me.

There was a great piece from Garrison Keillor in a recent issue of Time Magazine in which he has fun with California over the whole Arnold thing.

Of course ignored amongst the hubbub is the question: why is the governor of California held to higher standards than the President of the United States?

On 31 August 2003 (05:45 AM),
dowingba said:

You’re right. I listened to it more closely.

The governor of California is more scrutinized than the President because even when Big Brother (bush) does something bad, he actually is doing something good. It’s doublethink.

Bend Weekend 2003

We’re back from the annual MNF Bend Trip (2003 edition). Perhaps not as fun as last year, but quite good. I’m not up to a full report, but some highlights included:

meeting Eila and Sam for Indian food on Saturday afternoon,
playing a L-O-N-G game of Carcassonne with Jeremy and Jennifer (and Joel), and listening to them bicker,
playing nine-ball with Jeff and Sabino while listening to Kris play Carcassonne with Jeremy and Jennifer, and listening to them bicker,
my haircut at the Metropolitan barbershop (an annual event), performed by Jerry Servo, the man who cut my hair when I was a kid,
playing the Game of Life with Steph, Julie, Ron, and Kim, just like when we were kids,
teaching the group to play Wizard, which they took to immediately,
some damn fine flank steak from Jeremy for dinner Sunday night (I only wish there’d been more!),
and lots of general relaxation with good friends.

Kris and I look forward to this trip every year; we don’t have a lot in common with this group anymore (except with Jeremy and Jennifer), but we have a shared history that counts for an awful lot.

We get to plan the trip next year, and though I’ve been saying that I want us to go to Black Butte instead of Sunriver (in order to save an hour of travel time each way), the house we stayed in this year was quite nice. Assuming that the same fourteen people return next year (and I hope that’s exactly what happens), this house would probably be a good choice. (As long as we hide the war movies from Jeremy before he gets there!)

Comments

On 29 April 2003 (05:10 AM),
Susie said:

I have mixed feelings on the subject of religion and whether it is harmful to individuals and communities. I used to believe wholeheartedly that this was the case, but recently began to question it. While I don�t want to confuse the notion of organised religion with faith, I do believe that there are benefits to the community when individuals behave in a God-fearing way. Over the past 20+ years church attendance (being representative of levels of faith) has diminished along with respect for authority and parental responsibility. The corresponding increase in crime and antisocial behaviour during this time is likely to result from all three factors and more; however, I can�t help but think that a major cause could be a lack of awareness/fear of the consequences of such actions. Naturally the criminal justice system plays a large part in this, but surely a more prevalent fear of the hereafter would temper many individuals� actions. Obviously there are many exceptions to this rule (religious criminals being an obvious example); I was thinking more of the general effects on society. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

On 29 April 2003 (05:19 AM),
another J.D. said:

Sniff. I miss Central Oregon (home). Mentioning Sunriver and Black Butte in the same breath and I can almost smell the pine trees and see the sun slanting through them. I carry Black Butte with me on my head–I have a Black Butte Porter hat that has the logo on the front. You can see Black Butte from my parents deck (notice I say my parents deck, the house I grew up in, and not MY house like I would have 10+ years ago).

You might want to take a look at renting a cabin in Camp Sherman. It’s beautiful but not as manicured as a Sunriver or Black Butte. You should at least go through and look at the huge fish below the bridge for me next time you pass through.

Indian food in Bend?! My times have changed. That used to mean frybread and smoked salmon not curry!

J.D. I pack like you (night). I’m sorry for both of us.

Cousins

Kris and I braved stormy weather to travel to Sweet Home on Saturday to attend the marriage of my youngest cousin, Ben Swartzendruber. The event was notable because it was the first time I’d seen some of my cousins in more than a decade. I have many cousins. They have many children. We all look so old!

The Noah Roth family tree:

Noah Joseph Roth (9/8/1902 – 7/13/91) and Lola Ann Sharp (4/8/1906 – 7/3/1981) had three children: Norman Duane (10/27/1938 – 1/17/1990), Virginia Eden (2/20/1942), and Stephen Eugene (7/31/1945 – 7/21/1995).

Norman married Janice Birky (12/9/1938 – 6/20/1987) and they had four children: Ronald Duane (1/13/1960), Robert Dean (6/27/1962), Nicholas Leon (3/6/1964), and Debra JoAnn (7/23/1965).

Virginia married Stanley James Swartzendruber (5/16/1940) and they had nine children: Robin Lou (6/11/1959), Tamara (5/27/1960), Gwendolyn Kay (8/3/1961), Laura June (6/10/1964), Valerie Ann (7/15/1965), Stanley Scott (10/18/1966), Tedric James (5/31/1968), Martin (1/25/1971), and Benjamin (12/30/1976).

Stephen married Suzanne McClellan (4/21/1948) and they had three children: John David (3/25/1969), Jeffrey Stephen (8/3/1970), and Anthony Michael (12/29/1972).

That’s my father’s family as I remember it as a child. We lived a quarter-mile from Grandma and Grandpa, and they were our primary babysitters. We saw Norman and his family fairly often because they only lived about ten miles away. We saw Virginia and her family less often, though; they lived in Estacada, so we only saw them on special occasions. There were many special occasions.

My memories of my cousins have faded with the years, but I still hold a great deal of affection for them. I regret not being able to spend more time with them Saturday at the wedding reception.

I did make the time to have most of them write down their family information, though. Virginia’s family has been fruitful, and multiplied:

Robin married Nevin Richard Danner (8/18/1958) and they have five children: Nevin LaRay (8/24/1982), Robin Jolene (6/11/1984), Stanley Walter (5/1/1987), Elsie Marie (2/1/1989), and Starlita Dawn (4/16/1993). Starlita Dawn? I didn’t get a chance to ask Robin about that; it seems incongruent. I’ve never met these first cousins once removed; Robin and Nevin live in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

I haven’t any information for Tammy‘s family. She lives nearby, and reads this weblog from time-to-time, so her information should be easy to gather.

Gwen married Henry Peter Hertzler (9/21/1959) and they have twelve children: Cynthia Rose, adopted (9/29/1978), Jon Anthony (7/15/1982), Justin Lyell (12/14/1982), Jeremy Lowell (12/14/1982), James Arthur (2/23/1984), William Henry (3/14/1987), Josiah David (7/18/1991), Hans Jacob (12/26/1992), Stephen Christopher (6/14/1994), Henry Micah (9/27/1996), Grace Elizabeth (8/12/2000), and Raphael Joseph (10/29/2002). I remember Cyndi from when she was very young, living as a foster child with Norman and Janice. I met Anthony and little Raphael Joseph on Saturday, but I’ve never met the other children because the family lives in Bainbridge, New York.

Laurie married Jacob Mervin Lehman (8/12/1962), and they live with their family on a centuries-old dairy farm in Hagerstown, Maryland. From what I understand, their eleven children run the farm: Sharon Kay (5/21/1984), Sheila June (5/13/1985), Jana Louise (3/23/1987), Jay Mervin (3/1/1988), Kyle David (5/10/1990), Andrew Lee (11/2/1991), Michael Lynn (3/26/1993), Leland James (9/21/1995), Jolynn Marie (4/22/1997), Randall Joel (11/9/1998), and Edward Hans (9/26/2000). I met Randall at the wedding on Saturday; he was very well-behaved, entranced by the string trio that played before the ceremony.

Valerie married Veasey Eric Glenn (5/28/1963) and they have nine children, so far: Verlyn Clark (6/13/1987), Vance Ellwyn (9/25/1989), Vonda LaRose (2/9/1992), Veldon Randall (2/1/1993), Vernell Collin (7/4/1995), Vaughn Benjamin (9/6/1997), Vivian Crystal (12/15/1998), Veronica Beth (5/9/2000), and Vale Tyler (3/9/2002). Valerie’s family lives in Fruitland, Idaho, so I’ve seen them a couple of times in the past year, though I’ve never had a chance to talk with Valerie (she was always my favorite female cousin, probably because she was closest to my own age). Verlyn is a giant of a boy — big, robust, imposing. He’s only fifteen, but he’s the biggest person in the entire extended family.

Scott married Annette Kay ??? (3/2/1967) and they have six girls: Rowena Fern (10/9/1988), Sylvia Rose (8/28/1991), Monica Lou (4/27/1993), Sheila Anne (5/8/1996), Melinda Jo (11/19/1998), and Sonya June (6/21/01). Scott and his family live in Shedd, Oregon.

Ted was my favorite cousin of all — he and I were nearly the same age. Ted married Jolynn Kay Kauffman (9/25/1970) and they have three children: Brittney Kay (1/13/1997), Jaremy Lewis, adopted (10/22/2001), and Christina Marie (7/10/2002). Brittney is as cute as a bug’s ear, as my father would have said.

Mart and Elizabeth don’t have any children yet. I didn’t jot down their particulars because they’re at every family gathering.
And, of course, Ben and Ruth just got married.

Most of these families, particularly those from the east coast, are conservative Mennonite, not quite old order Mennonite. They’re not Amish, but they live near Amish communities. They wear plain and simple clothing, work large farms, are devoted to their god. They live in a very different world than I do, and this makes me love them all the more.

In Norm’s family, Bob has four children (five?), and Deb has two. My brothers have three children between them.

Norman would have six grand-children if he were alive today. My mother has three grandchildren. Virginia has 46 grandchildren, not counting Tammy’s brood.

It’s no wonder I can’t remember all their names.

Cousins

We all look so old!

I have many cousins. They have many children.

The Noah Roth family tree:

Norman married Janice Birky (12/9/1938 – 6/20/1987) and they had four children: Ronald Duane (1/13/1960), Robert Dean (6/27/1962), Nicholas Leon (3/6/1964), and Debra JoAnn (7/23/1965).

Virginia married Stanley James Swartzendruber (5/16/1940) and they had nine children: Robin Lou (6/11/1959), Tamara (5/27/1960), Gwendolyn Kay (8/3/1961), Laura June (6/10/1964), Valerie Ann (7/15/1965), Stanley Scott (10/18/1966), Tedric James (5/31/1968), Martin (1/25/1971), and Benjamin (12/30/1976).

Stephen married Suzanne McClellan (4/21/1948) and they had three children: John David (3/25/1969), Jeffrey Stephen (8/3/1970), and Anthony Michael (12/29/1972).

My memories of my cousins have faded with the years, but I still hold a great deal of affection for them. I regret not being able to spend more time with them Saturday at the wedding reception.

I did make the time to have most of them write down their family information, though. Virginia’s family has been fruitful, and multiplied.

Robin married Nevin Richard Danner (8/18/1958) and they have five children: Nevin LaRay (8/24/1982), Robin Jolene (6/11/1984), Stanley Walter (5/1/1987), Elsie Marie (2/1/1989), and Starlita Dawn (4/16/1993). Starlita Dawn? I didn’t get a chance to ask Robin about that; it seems incongruent. I’ve never met these first cousins once removed; Robin and Nevin live in Hanover, Pennsylvania.

I haven’t any information for Tammy’s family. She lives nearby, and reads this weblog from time-to-time, so her information should be easy to gather.

Gwen married Henry Peter Hertzler (9/21/1959) and they have twelve children: Cynthia Rose, adopted (9/29/1978), Jon Anthony (7/15/1982), Justin Lyell (12/14/1982), Jeremy Lowell (12/14/1982), James Arthur (2/23/1984), William Henry (3/14/1987), Josiah David (7/18/1991), Hans Jacob (12/26/1992), Stephen Christopher (6/14/1994), Henry Micah (9/27/1996), Grace Elizabeth (8/12/2000), and Raphael Joseph (10/29/2002). I remember Cyndi from when she was very young, living as a foster child with Norman and Janice. I met Anthony and little Raphael Joseph on Saturday, but I’ve never met the other children because the family lives in Bainbridge, New York.

Laurie married Jacob Mervin Lehman (8/12/1962), and they live with their family on a centuries-old dairy farm in Hagerstown, Maryland. From what I understand, their eleven children run the farm: Sharon Kay (5/21/1984), Sheila June (5/13/1985), Jana Louise (3/23/1987), Jay Mervin (3/1/1988), Kyle David (5/10/1990), Andrew Lee (11/2/1991), Michael Lynn (3/26/1993), Leland James (9/21/1995), Jolynn Marie (4/22/1997), Randall Joel (11/9/1998), and Edward Hans (9/26/2000). I met Randall at the wedding on Saturday; he was very well-behaved, entranced by the string trio that played before the ceremony.

Valerie married Veasey Eric Glenn (5/28/1963) and they have nine children, so far: Verlyn Clark (6/13/1987), Vance Ellwyn (9/25/1989), Vonda LaRose (2/9/1992), Veldon Randall (2/1/1993), Vernell Collin (7/4/1995), Vaughn Benjamin (9/6/1997), Vivian Crystal (12/15/1998), Veronica Beth (5/9/2000), and Vale Tyler (3/9/2002). Valerie’s family lives in Fruitland, Idaho, so I’ve seen them a couple of times in the past year, though I’ve never had a chance to talk with Valerie (she was always my favorite female cousin, probably because she was closest to my own age). Verlyn is a giant of a boy — big, robust, imposing. He’s only fifteen, but he’s the biggest person in the entire extended family.

Scott married Annette Kay ??? (3/2/1967) and they have six girls: Rowena Fern (10/9/1988), Sylvia Rose (8/28/1991), Monica Lou (4/27/1993), Sheila Anne (5/8/1996), Melinda Jo (11/19/1998), and Sonya June (6/21/01). Scott and his family live in Shedd, Oregon.

Ted was my favorite cousin of all — he and I were nearly the same age. Ted married Jolynn Kay Kauffman (9/25/1970) and they have three children: Brittney Kay (1/13/1997), Jaremy Lewis, adopted (10/22/2001), and Christina Marie (7/10/2002). Brittney is as cute as a bug’s ear, as my father would have said.

Marty and Elizabeth don’t have any children yet. I didn’t jot down their particulars because they’re at every family gathering.

In Norm’s family, Bob has four children (five?), and Deb has two. My brothers have three children between them.

Norman would have six grand-children if he were alive today. My mother has three grandchildren. Virginia has 46 grandchildren, not counting Tammy’s brood.

It’s no wonder I can’t remember all their names.

Comments

On 03 September 2003 (11:47 PM),
Ron Roth said:

Debbie has 5 children, Vanessa, Shanika, Shilo, Tabitha, and Amanda. Uncle Norman would have 9 grandchildren.

On 03 September 2003 (11:47 PM),
Ron Roth said:

Debbie has 5 children, Vanessa, Shanika, Shilo, Tabitha, and Amanda. Uncle Norman would have 9 grandchildren.

On 21 March 2004 (11:52 AM),
Gwen said:

JD, I feel quite safe just writing cousin to cousin here as this spot obviously sank into oblivion months and months ago. I don’t know if it makes any difference to you, really, but Gwen and family are not Mennonite, by denominatinal definition, and have not been for many years. I suppose that in some sense anyone born into that culture cannot entirely say they are not Mennonite, any more than an American who chooses another country would be truly not American. There are some points of reference, some biases, some cultural baggage you may never be able to be rid of, and in this case I don’t necessarily desire to be rid of it, not all of it, anyway.

But we are not membersof a Mennonite church, nor any “church” as the term is commonly known. We do what we do and live as we live out of a deeply held faith in Christ Jesus and love for God as Designer, Creator, and Ultimate Ruler of this Universe. No man-made creeds or rules govern us in a religious sense. We also do not believe in organized religion, though we love and respect many people who do. We even respect some of the organizations, but are sorry of the confusing methods they use.

Diego Fiesta!

I’ll incorporate this birth announcement into the weblog so that people can leave messages to Kim and Sabino, and to each other. The information below is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate. Please send me corrections or additions.

Hola, Diego Manuel!

[photo of Diego bawling]

Diego Manuel Arredondo was born on 06 January 2003 at 9:25 a.m. He weighed seven pounds, three ounces, and he was twenty inches long. Diego arrived seventeen days early, catching everyone by surprise. His grandparents Kropf were still on the East Coast; they had expected to be back home in plenty of time to be present for his birth.

[photo of Diego asleep

On Monday morning, Sabino rose at 6:30, his normal hour. He went to work, but Kim called him soon after and announced that they had better get to the hospital. Sabino asked Julie to babysit Antonio, and then he sped Kim to Willamette Falls Hospital in Oregon City. They left the house at 8:30.

When they arrived at the hospital, Kim was disappointed to learn that she wouldn’t be receiving an epidural. In fact, the labor progressed so quickly that Diego was born at 9:25, after only five minutes of pushing.

Stephanie visited Kim, Sabino, and Diego, soon after the birth and took all of the photos that you see on this page (and more!).

click a thumbnail below for larger image (opens new window)

By the early evening, friends and family had begun to pour into the hospital room and out into the hall and into the lobby. Antonio had joined his family, but, according to Sabino, didn’t comprehend what all the fuss was about. Fortunately, someone (Trina?) had thought to bring Thomas and his friends, so Antonio was happy.

[photo of Kim and Sabino holding Diego]

Sabino surmised that Diego chose to be born this particular day in order to bring the MNF group together for one extra Monday past the end of the football season. Sabino declined the traditional MNF father dinner at the Outback, but the rest of the gang went anyhow. We ate enough food to compensate for his absence.

Comments

On 07 January 2003 (07:17 AM),
J.D. said:

Congratulations, Kim and Sabino! May Diego lead a long and happy life.

Antonio has a year or two to learn to share Thomas and Friends, I guess. :)

On 07 January 2003 (07:22 AM),
Steve Masingila said:

Congratulations!!! proud Mon,Dad and big brother

On 07 January 2003 (08:03 AM),
Jeremy said:

Way to go! Kim, we wish you a speedy recovery. Sabino, we wish for you a smooth tax season so that you may assist your wife in caring ofr Diego. Antonio, we wish for you patience to incorporate Diego into the family. And Diego, we hope your infection goes away very soon so you can begin to pester your brother!

Jeremy, Jennifer, Harrison and Emma

On 07 January 2003 (10:24 AM),
Lucy said:

Congratulations!
Now enjoy…

On 07 January 2003 (10:43 AM),
Jackie Sande said:

Congratulations on such a fine addition to your family. No wonder the audit didn’t take as long as expected: Arredondo’s are early!

On 07 January 2003 (11:39 AM),
David Hoiland said:

Congratulations on your new boy. May the SLEEP be with you!

On 07 January 2003 (12:27 PM),
StephanieRoth said:

Congratulations on the new little golfing buddy!

On 07 January 2003 (12:45 PM),
Jennifer Gingerich said:

Two kids… yeah I know what that means. Twice the mess, double duty on the diapers, two on one wrestling matches (watch out dad!), doubled over with laughs (what else can you do), twice as much fun, and quadruple the amount of love! Congratulations on the new family dynamics!

On 07 January 2003 (02:28 PM),
Patrick Leaman said:

Hey hey! I feel priveleged to be included in the email. ‘Bino and Kim, you both look wonderful. Through this site I got to Bino’s work site. Nice update. I have heard it said from a parents perspective that when you transition from two children to three, you go from a “man to man” defense to “zone”. Be careful.

I am forwarding this to Mark Sawin!

On 07 January 2003 (02:55 PM),
Bev Landen said:

Congratulations to both of you, Sabino and especially to you Kim as the one who did all the work. I look forward to meeting your two little ones sometime.

On 07 January 2003 (03:49 PM),
Fay said:

Congratulations on your new addition. You will have so much fun with two little brothers so close. Kim, you’re still the queen of the home. Get their respect and help!! I’m so excited. Thanks for including me on your EM list. Fay

On 07 January 2003 (04:32 PM),
Kelly Thompson said:

Kimmy!! Can’t believe the little guy dropped in just the next morning after talking with you!! Sounds like you guys barely made it. I’m sure Antonio will adjust just fine…what fun! Jim’s excited cause now you’ll be able to make this weekends annual beach trip – ha!! We can’t wait to meet him, hope to drop in after the rush!! Much love and many hugs from all of us – Kelly, Jim, Rachel & Jake

On 07 January 2003 (06:03 PM),
Kara, Ron & Daphne said:

Yippee!! I can’t wait to play with my new baby cousin!! ~Daphne

Congratulations Sabino, Kim & Antonio! What a beautiful boy! We love you bunches! ~ Kara & Ron

On 08 January 2003 (08:05 AM),
Claudia said:

Kimmy, Woweee! Hey five minutes of pushing can’t be all that disappointing huh?! I am sure you were plenty organized ahead of time anyway if I know you!!!
Sabino, Take it easy on the only girl in the family now. Don’t you three gang up on her too much.
Congratulations you two. Can’t hardly wait to see you. I will let the primary school all know.
Love and kisses, Claudia

On 08 January 2003 (08:34 AM),
Dan Davis said:

Congratulations! My sons birthday was the day before!

On 08 January 2003 (08:35 AM),
Linda said:

Congratulations! Welcome Diego. What a beautiful baby boy. So happy for you and your family. Kim, you still have the glow and look great, Sabino, what a proud Dad. God bless you all. Thanks for the photos. See you soon. (If there’s anything we can do, please call) Love ya, Linda

On 08 January 2003 (08:39 AM),
Leah Feller (Sanders) said:

Conrats Kim and Sabino. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your beautiful family.

On 08 January 2003 (08:48 AM),
Lori Lawrence said:

Congratulations on a BEAUTIFUL new little one. I’m sure he will be one of those babies that sleeps through the night by 6 weeks, no? :) Give him an extra snuggle and kiss from me, will you please.

Love,

Lori Lawrence

On 08 January 2003 (09:08 AM),
Cathy Flachsbart said:

Kim and Sabino- Congratulations! What fun boys are! Thanks for sharing the good news and the wonderful pictures. He is beautiful. Cathy

On 08 January 2003 (09:20 AM),
Dan said:

Way to go Diego! He must have been in a hurry to join such a great family. Kim and Sabino, have fun on your 12 weeks of maternity leave!

Big Gringo

On 08 January 2003 (10:18 AM),
Kathy Kenyon said:

Congratulations and best wishes. He’s adorable.

Have great fun with two boys.

Kathy

On 08 January 2003 (10:31 AM),
Grandpa & NanaGrandma said:

We have just met you at the nursery show in Baltimore via internet! Thanks to JD! I have told approximately 100 people here in MD that I am a new Grandma!!! They can tell my ear to ear grin. We are coming home in a couple hours. Can harldy wait to hold you and yes Antonio I have some Thomas books to read to you while while I am holding Diego. Love, Nana Grandma

On 08 January 2003 (12:17 PM),
Alice said:

Congratulations! He is beautiful! Have fun with your two little guys!

Alice Dudon

On 08 January 2003 (12:51 PM),
Karin said:

Congrats Kim and Sabino! Glad to hear everyone is doing well. 17 days early and 5 minutes of pushing! We won’t even compare stories because you definitely win! :-) Thanks for the email note so I could check out the pictures. Maybe one of these days we can get Jonathan, Diego and Alexis together for a party. Who would have thought we’d all have kids less than 2 weeks apart?!
Love to all, Karin

On 08 January 2003 (01:54 PM),
Matthew Wilding said:

Felicidades! Welcome to the 2 boys club. Three months into it we are loving it. Hope you are all well and that you are able to squeeze in a bit of rest here and there.

-Matthew

On 08 January 2003 (05:56 PM),
Stacy, Tracy, Taylor and Drew said:

Great pics! What a beautiful family. God chose such a wonderful home for Diego! We are so happy for you. We will miss you ALL this weekend…..is it too late to reschedule so you can come? :) Much love! Tracy, Stacy, Taylor and Drew

On 08 January 2003 (07:17 PM),
Ken Perinchhief said:

How wonderful for you to have two boys, the second of which was born on MY 68th BIRTHDAY!
Congratulations to the parents, best wishes for a healthy and properous life by whatever measuring tool he wishes to use. He and Mom and Dad take flattering pictures — something he cannot count on 68 years from now!
Read to them early and often — their very best gift from you, except for hugs and love.

Ken Perinchief

On 09 January 2003 (09:42 AM),
Norcom Bunch said:

Congratulations!! Diego looks healthy, and he was obviously excited to see the world. We wish you all the best. Get lots of rest and we look forward to seeing Diego at the office soon.

On 09 January 2003 (09:49 AM),
Shaun, Keeli, Carson and Griffin said:

The pictures look great! Everyone is smiling, healthy, happy….and you should be. Congratulations!!! By the way, Sabino, you look like the birthing thing was noooo problem. I’ve got a hot coffee waiting for you when you get back to work.

On 09 January 2003 (12:32 PM),
Cindie Brack said:

Congratulations! Diego is awesome! The second one is easier. Enjoy! Love Cindie

On 09 January 2003 (12:57 PM),
Dayna & Michael Rich said:

Kim & Sabino,
Congratulations, He is beautiful. We look forward to watching what wonderful things God has planned for him and you. You are in our prayers.
May God Bless you family

On 09 January 2003 (01:32 PM),
Michelle Harrington said:

Congratulations Kim. 2 boys, I know how wonderful that is. Diego is beautiful. Take care of yourself.
Michelle Harrington

On 10 January 2003 (10:45 AM),
Mark Metzler Sawin said:

Hey ‘Bino & Kim,

Congrats! It’s great to see your family — you all seem happy and well. Take care and remeber Sabino, that Pat and I are still willing to support you for a Presidential run. You’ll soon be 35 so I’m expecting big things from you in 2008.

Mark

On 11 January 2003 (11:43 AM),
Hearth Classics Crew said:

Congratulations from everyone at Hearth Classics on the new addition!!! Two beautiful boys! More really is merrier.
Best wishes for sufficent sleep, patience and diapers. We would include wishes for lots of love, but we can see al the love that shows in the pictures.
A beautiful family!

The crew at Hearth Classics.

On 11 January 2003 (01:42 PM),
jennifer lyn gingerich (the OTHER jennifer…) said:

pretty cool!! congratulations and may you be filled with love and joy, and lots of support. :-) wish i could be there to see Diego in person.

On 13 January 2003 (09:17 AM),
Randy & Seanette Smith said:

Congratulations!!! May God bless your new addition :0). Randy, Seanette, Alex & Brock Smith

On 13 January 2003 (06:48 PM),
Tonya Harmelink said:

Congratulations on your new addition. Kristin sent me the update on your family. Best wishes as you become a family of four. Great pictures!

On 15 January 2003 (07:20 PM),
Carolyn Jackson said:

Kim and Sabino,

Wow! Diego sure knows how to announce his arrival, congratulations! Cudos to the photographer on the opening shot, it’s a great one. You all look fabulous. Kim, you’re just amazing, 5 minutes of pushing, you do win!

On 16 January 2003 (01:44 PM),
jewell said:

Beautiful. I’ll try and come for a visit next week. We had a good time at the beach, but missed you. Love, Jewell

On 17 January 2003 (07:53 AM),
Jana Petersen said:

Hey Congrats, I hear you’ve already adapted to having a new little one around. I enjoyed the pictures and the run down on the special event. Enjoy every moment while their young!!! I know you will! Can’t wait to meet the little guy.

On 20 January 2003 (05:46 AM),
Michelle Miller said:

Kristin also sent me the site to get a look at the new addition to your family. Congratulations!

It’s a Wonderful Life

Over the past decade I’ve become something of a Scrooge at heart, never rallying much enthusiasm for Christmas; Thanksgiving is my holiday. This year has been different.

I’ve been attempting to become a kinder, gentler person, one less critical of others and more willing to praise and to share and to enjoy the moment. This new attitude is already paying unexpected dividends: I’m happier than I have been in five years. Couple this new, improved attitude with a surfeit of cash and the result has been a holiday season in which I’ve actually enjoyed giving gifts, have looked forward to doing so. It has been easy to find things to give my family and friends.

It’s a Wonderful Life was one of my favorite films when I was in high school and college, but it’s been several years since I watched it. Kris and I snuggled up on the couch one night last week and watched it together. It was a wonderful. It felt as if I were watching the film for the first time.

Even the Roth family Christmas pleased me this year. We Roth boys see each other every day at Custom Box Service so that seeing each other for Christmas usually feels anticlimactic. But I enjoyed myself on Tuesday night, playing with Tony’s kids, eating pizza, burning the hot fudge, unwrapping Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan on DVD.

We spent a relaxing Christmas Day with Joel and Aimee. We lounged around the Christmas tree, reading, chatting, and playing Bohnanza and Dutch Blitz. Their cat, Nine, entertained us by throwing her superball around the room and stalking Hedgie, the hedgehog.

Joel got a whole stack of Patrick O’Brian books. His affliction must be deeper than I had suspected. (I’m one to talk: I haven’t even begun reading the series yet, but already own the first three volumes.)

We had planned to prepare a lamb recipe from Caprial, but the lamb had turned green and blue. We improvised, adapting the recipe for chicken instead. The improvisation worked, thanks largely to the splendid wine-peppercorn sauce (for which we used a bottle of St. Josef’s Cabarnet Sauvignon (1987) that Jeremy and Jennifer had given us for Christmas).

In the evening, the four of us saw Gangs of New York (which one might call Martin Scorsese’s Helms Deep). My three companions hated the film. Aimee, in a fit of generosity, offered to grade it a D because of Daniel Day-Lewis‘ presence. I didn’t dislike the film as much as the others; in fact, I enjoyed the first half. The last hour of the movie is awful, however, an indefensible, convoluted mess. The final twenty minutes are particularly wretched, with an amateurish voice-over reading telegraphed reports of rioting in the streets of New York. Scorsese‘s ambition has got the better of him in Gangs of New York. He tries to tell too many stories, and the film is worse for it. I’d recommend waiting for video if you’ve considered seeing this. (Update: This review of Gangs of New York is spot-on, though the review’s evaluation is ultimately a bit more positive than mine.)

Tonight, Kris and I will have dinner with Paul Carlile and, perhaps, catch another of those films we expect to be in Oscar contention.

Best in show from the gifts received department? Without question, the gift from my parents-in-law: the beautiful, information-packed Atlas of Oregon. Wow!

Chamber of Secrets Photos

As promised, here are photographs of our costumes for the premiere of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. We were not the only ones in costumes. One group of teenaged girls were dressed as Gryffindors. Two rebels came as hobbits, bare hairy feet at all. I’d imagine that even more people came to the earlier shows in costume.

[Note: Again, these photos are very dark on certain monitors, but look great on my PC at home and on my iBook. I’m going to have to determine what is causing this problem.]

Aimee Rose as a Cornish pixie and Joel Alexander as a surly garden gnome

Jeremy and Jennifer as the Duke and Duchess of Hubbard, one of Hogwarts’ “living” paintings

Pamela as a house elf, Mackenzie as Professor Quirrell

Kris as “Hermione transformed into a cat after drinking the polyjuice potion”, J.D. as Uncle Vernon Dursley (note moustache)

James (?) as a Weasley, Clotilde as Hedwig the owl

Joel and Jeremy, further on the road to lung cancer

Maybe we can all dress in costume for The Two Towers. I’d love to see Joel go as Gollum. I’d have to be Gandalf the Wise, of course.

Comments

On 20 November 2002 (09:26 AM),
jeff said:

Your comments section could use some kind of seperator between posts. They all kind of run together if the poster’s name is not clickable.

On 20 November 2002 (10:00 AM),
Dana said:

I think you’d be more suited to a Hobbit than Gandalf… :)

The reason the pictures look dark on some displays continues to be the reason I pointed you at earlier. Here’s another discussion here, at “Why Do Images Appear Darker on Some Displays?“. Of course, I doubt think you’ll pay attention this time, either :)

On 20 November 2002 (10:06 AM),
J.D. said:

Done, Jeff.

And, Dana, I did look at the info you posted last time. It didn’t help!

On 20 November 2002 (10:40 AM),
Dana said:

Try here, then. The problem isn’t with your pictures, it’s with the machine displaying them…

On 20 November 2002 (10:42 AM),
Strongbad said:

The Cheat wanted me to tell you that your costume is really crappy. I mean, who are you supposed to be? You look like the freakin’ guy from the Woodwright’s Shop on PBS! A really awesome costume would have been one with a cool mask, and maybe some boxing gloves, and then…

On 26 November 2002 (10:40 AM),
mart said:

how f*cking cool are you JD?!?? strongbad reads yr blogs and comments too?!?! damn that’s cool. strongbad rules!

Best Hearts Game Ever

Kris and I played cards with Mac and Pam on Sunday. No big surprise there; we play whenever we can.

We played Bridge first, but Pam kicked our asses. Again, no big surprise there. She finished with 3700 points in three rubbers while the rest of us each had around 1400 points.

The game of Hearts that we played was more fun.

I started playing Hearts (rules, which are simple) when I was a sophomore in high school. When my family started attending Zion Mennonite Church, learning Hearts was part of the initiation into the youth social scene. (Learning Rook was, of course, the real initiation. Rook is the game of choice among young Mennonites.)

The Hearts that I’ve played with my Mennonite friends isn’t nearly as fun, or as challenging, as the Hearts I play with Mac and Pam. The Mennonite group plays: Black Lady and Passing variations, Two of Clubs opens, Jack of Diamonds is minus ten, a player receives minus three for taking no tricks, and no points may be played on the first trick. Also, the level of play is not as high as with Mac and Pam.

The version of Hearts that Mac and Pam play features: Black Lady and Passing variations, a four card kitty (which goes to the first person to take a point), the person to the left of the dealer opens, no bonus for the Jack of Diamonds or for avoiding tricks, and points may be played on the first trick. Also, the deal skips a player after the hold hand. (Kris and I have convinced them to play with the minus three point bonus for not taking a trick, and they seem to like the rule.)

The basic difference between these rules is that it is more difficult to Shoot the Moon with Mac and Pam’s rules. Removing the bonus for the Jack of Diamonds also eliminates an element of luck that is otherwise involved in the play. In all, their rules are much more fun.

Here’s the score card from the Best Hearts Game Ever:

Pam	J.D.	Kris	Mac
-26	0	-3	0
-17	1	-2	15
-17	3	21	12
-11	23	21	9

9	26	24	9
6	23	45	14
6	25	66	17
27	22	69	19

49	27	69	19
46	36	82	23
43	43	85	39
43	56	89	48

40	74	86	56
41	74	86	81
61	80	83	81
77	77	86	88

96	83	83	89
100	100	86	91
116	106	86	95

Important things to know: Pam has an eidetic memory (or nearly so), so counting cards is easy for her. I go into nearly every hand with the intention of Shooting the Moon. I also tend to overanalyze the game. Kris doesn’t really like Hearts, and she really doesn’t like it when I overanalyze the game. The whole group is very competitive, but Pam and I are especially competitive with each other. Pam rarely loses at Hearts (or any other card game). This just makes me more eager to defeat her.

This particular game started with Pam Shooting the Moon, an event that caused groans around the table. She was likely to win anyhow, and spotting her a 26 point lead just increased the chance that she would be victorious.

For the next few hands, things were typical. Then, Kris hit a string of bad luck, falling far behind with 66 points. Pam continued to lead. But then she had a couple of bad hands, taking the Queen twice consecutively. Suddeny, the men were vying for the lead and the women were behind. Not very common in our group, and a state that both Mac and I relish.

Our taste of the lead was short-lived, however. Kris fell futher behind (and became more surly, sulking and snapping), but Pam stabilized in the low 40s and Mac and I fell nearly even with Kris in the 70s and 80s.

Then things began to fall apart for Pam. Within two hands, she and I were tied at 77, with Kris and Mac only ten points back. Pam took the Queen and suddenly found herself in last place. I was tied for the lead with Kris (who had looked a sure loser only a few hands before).

I felt confident. Victory was within my reach. Whether I won the game or Pam lost the game did not matter: either outcome was a victory. If both happened, it would be all the sweeter. On the pass, I worked myself a safe hand: low cards, Spades protection, few Hearts. I was ready. The first two tricks were typical, but then the bomb dropped. Pam had voided herself in Clubs (or had a singleton, I don’t recall), and was able to sluff the Queen on my lowly Seven of Clubs. The Seven of Clubs took the Queen on only the first or second Clubs trick! I was in agony! I was also now tied with Pam at 100 points; whichever of us took the most points the next hand would lose the game.

The game had lasted eighteen hands, which is extraordinary for a game of Hearts. We were all within fifteen points of each other, and each had over 85 points. I’ve never seen a game so close!

I dealt the cards, and we passed across. My hand was average. I would likely take a few points, but I hoped to avoid the Queen. Little did I know, Pam had passed Kris the Ace and King of Spades, but Kris had passed her the Queen, which was now her only Spade. She was doomed from the start.

As the first Spades trick went around, and Pam was forced to take it with the Queen. It then became only a matter of preventing her from Shooting the Moon (which wasn’t difficult, as she hadn’t the cards to do it), and the game ended with her as the Big Loser.

The game was a blast, especially after the first few hands. The leader changed often. The score was close. The game was competitive. This is the reason I love to play games.

It’s also the reason that I prefer interactive games to non-interactive games. Some games, Eurorails and Empire Builder for example, have little player interaction. These games are dull to me now, though I enjoyed them once. I’m interested in games that allow players to interact, to affect each other’s status within the game, games like El Grande and Settlers of Catan, and Tigris and Euphrates. (Tigris and Euphrates is my favorite of these, I think, but most people find the game too complicated.)

Game night in one week!