shaking the rattle

Who ever thought I would be hosting a baby shower? I sure didn't. But each day brings new surprises... Becky (a co-worker -- not my wife) and I through a baby shower for another co-worker, Jeanne. It ended up coming out wonderful. (I'll have a few pictures before too long.) Getting it started today was quite an adventure though!

Things started out relatively smooth this morning. I was up on time and things were progressing well. I got the car loaded with the gifts and the shrimp party platter from Red Lobster. We'd already taken all of the decorations up to work. Becky was bringing the cake. I was leaving on time. I couldn't have asked for a better beginning.

About 10 minutes away from the house, I realized the first foul-up. I had left our digital camera at home. For the next few minutes, I had the return or keep going debate with myself. It continued long enough to get past the point of no return and give up the thought of backtracking. "Our unit secretary has one I can borrow at the office,"
I told myself. Crisis averted -- I continued merrily on my way to work.

The second adventure of the day started on our way to Central Market. The directions Becky had downloaded to her iPaq were to the wrong location. We did get to check out a rustic section of Fort Worth! We even stopped at a gas station and picked up a map to help us get to exactly the wrong location. We think MapQuest picked the wrong street. We went to West Fairway -- we should have been looking for West Freeway.

We're a resourceful pair. We consulted our Boy Scout manual and placed a cellphone call to get the correct address. With the proper directions, we arrived in no time at the elusive market. After picking up the party platters, we went to grab soft drinks and head back to the office. That is when we discovered that we could get Mexican soft drinks, but Coke was no where to be found. Apparently that is too mainstream for an alternative outlet like Central Market.

Once again, we solved the problem. We just ended up spending $1.59 a bottle at a convenience store to get the beverages we needed. In total we spent nearly two hours getting everything ready. Good thing I have plenty of personal time left at work! It was all worth it, though. Jeanne is a great friend and being able to celebrate the upcoming birth was a privilege. The excitement around the birth of a baby is electric -- whether it is Jeanne's baby or Tom's soon to be Griffin -- you can feel the spark in the air!
posted by Bob

did you try the atomic wings?

The 78th Annual Lennard Superbowl Party went was great fun again this year. We had quite a crowd! The game was a close one, we had 3 winners in the Superbowl Squares, and the underdog won. What more could you ask for?

Jason and I ran RG-6 for the UltimateTV Saturday. Bob J. and I had already run it once, but the RG-59 didn't work correctly. It was a good excuse to visit Lowe's.

Why is it that you can't walk out of your local home center without having spent $50? Everytime I think I have every tool I need, I realize there is some other specialized tool I've forgotten. So, if you need to borrow RG-6 strippers or crimpers -- I'm your man.

I also always seem to get lost in the maze of aisles. I find myself wandering up and down dumbfounded by the array of ways I can hurt myself beyond repair. Do you really want to release Joe Normal with a table saw? It is the days of woodshop all over again -- birdhouses interrupted by trips to the emergency room to replace digits gone astray. Sometimes the temptation is too great though. That is how I wind up with the compressor or some other tool I can't utilize. "But I can make funny noises with my mouth and the compressed air!"
posted by Bob