Truths, Part 1

This is a post I put in the can awhile ago in case I had an extended delay. As some of you know, my Grandfather passed away last week and I was out of town for the entire weekend at his wake and funeral. I will post some of my fondest memories of him in the near future, but hopefully this can keep my readers still visiting my blog. Incidentally, sorry for the string of sad posts, I'm sure to break it soon as next week is our 20 week ultrasound!

In this post, I'll try to list a few items I've come to believe in, with strong conviction.

1. When buying shoes or a mattress, a person should never take the cheap option. You spend too much time on your feet and in your bed (though very little time doing both at the same time) to try and save a few bucks, it will come back to bite you.

2. Brushing my cats hair, even for a near infinite length of time, has no discernible effect on the amount of hair he sheds.

3. If you ever lend out a dvd to someone, you should consider them gifted away, and if the dvd happens to ever return, consider it a new gift to you.

4. The best ice cream flavors, and or descriptions, always contain one or more of the following words: Fudge, Caramel, Cookies, Chocolate, Dough, Chunk, Peanut.

Fish

Some sad news to report. Some of our fish recently got sick with a parasite that commonly effects aquariums, called ICH. I attempted to treat the tank with chemical designed for this purpose, which apparently carries with it its own risks. Unfortunately, either the ICH, the treatment chemical or a third unknown substance caused a large number of our fish to die, including our large Parrot fish, Wilbur. It seems like the remaining fish are stable and will survive, but we'll need to wait awhile before we can consider adding new fish again. Unfortunately, after a lengthy discussion with the aquarium shop experts, it seems likely that we'll never know exactly what occured to wipe out so much of our tank so quickly. All and all, Mei Mei seems to have taken it pretty well.

The toughest part of the situation is the frustrating feeling of having made a mistake. In the past Mei Mei and I have had fish die, but typically only a single fish will die at a time and, as their relatively short life spans would suggest, they pass at random times with little or no warning. In these cases the feeling of loss is countered by the sense that it was the fishes “time to go” and nothing really could have been done about it or even to predict it. Unfortunately in this case, with so many fish passing almost immediately after I introduced a chemical into the tank specifically designed to help and cure them, there is little doubt that this action caused their deaths.

MLB Stadium Changes show Changing Priorities

Growing up in St. Cloud, MN, I spent many summer nights in the nearby small town of Cold Spring (3000 people on a good census) watching the Cold Spring Springers play amateur baseball against teams from across the great state of Minnesota. Most of the players were local, having grown up watching the Springers themselves, and the crowd was even more local, with people walking to the stadium from their nearby homes. Springer history is storied, with seven state championships to their credit, as well as holding a current and still growing record of 20 consecutive seasons of qualifying for the state tournament. Springer field is small but distinct, with ivy lined fences, covered bleachers behind the backstop, and granite details pulled from the local quarry that over the years has employed many of the springers and fans alike. During a game, fans never leave their seats during the Springers at bat, and most of the time, when they talk, they talk baseball. To put a nail on it, Springers fans know baseball, and they know their team. One summer, when I was perhaps ten years old, I remember my grandfather, a lifelong Springer fan and pillar of the community for his involvement at the local VFW, among many other things, was asked to throw out the first pitch of the season. In a small town, even now, that still means something.

Next spring, after 27 years of playing baseball in the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, the Minnesota Twins will move into a new outdoor stadium, Target Field. The Metrodome has been much maligned for many years, for problems such as having a white pillow ceiling that makes catching fly balls unreasonably difficult, and painful artificial turf that fails to reproduce a natural baseball playing and watching experience.

In their new stadium, the twins will actually have fewer tickets to sell, as their maximum seating capacity will decrease from the Metrodomes 55,300 seats to the new Target field capacity of only 40,000. On an average day, this doesn't seem to pose much of an issue, as the twins rarely, if ever, have complete sell out games. The team will be playing on natural grass in the open air.

Interestingly, the new stadium will be built with a concourse twice as wide as the one in Metrodome, and will have substantially more vertical aisles (meaning less seats in a continuous row, and will have more bathrooms than in the old Metrodome (increasing from 448 to 667). On the surface, these seem like nice, positive improvements, but I wonder if they belie a hidden change in priorities of the twins (and other pro sports teams, who by and large have been making similar changes to their facilities for quite some time now).

At the end of a game, having additional vertical aisles will certainly make it easier for crowds to exit the stadium. During the game, they also allow fans getting up to not have to walk in front of as many seated fans before reaching the aisle. On the other hand, is it possible that fans have less interest in the actual game being played? At several recent major league baseball games in Chicago's Wrigley Field as well as U.S. Cellular field, I have noticed that many fans get up for bathroom breaks, concession stand purchases or any number of other activities, during all moments of the game. There seems to be little regard for situations, such as when their own team is at bat, or even more pivotal moments, like when a pitcher is beginning his wind up of a critical pitch with two men on board and the tying run on third. Many fans seem to lack much actual interest in the game. In this sense, are the Twins and other teams pandering to these disinterested fans by making their behavior less obtrusive to rest of the crowd?

Now, how about the additional bathrooms for a substantially reduced crowd size, as well as the beefed up concessional spaces; is this another symptom of the disinterested fan, who would prefer guzzling beer, plastic cup after lukewarm plastic cup full, to actually engaging and observing the game being played? Certainly a fan at a game should be able to enjoy food and beverages to compliment their experience, but in many ways, the current major league trends seem to have shifted these activities into the lime light, while the actual sporting event only serves as the backdrop of a massive bar restaurant. As a result of this bar like atmosphere, the professional game has become a less inviting, less family friendly environment. Throwing garbage onto the field of play, very foul language, and even physical, drunken fights have all become common place, even the norm at professional ball games.

In this new major league atmosphere, fans looking to watch a ballgame and reminisce about old strikeout records and great second basemen might find themselves the odd men out. One has to wonder, how many seats are left at old Springer field?

Tips

Is it possible to abolish the modern American restaurant practice of tipping servers? I've worked in a restaurant in the past, so I certainly have sympathy for the employees and don't want them to be short changed, but can't we expect restaurants to list the real price of things on their menu?

Is this just a clever trick to make things seem cheaper than they really are? Is it worth all the inconvenience? Is someone getting screwed by the situation? What is the origin of tipping anyhow Yeah, I'm sure I could look it up on Wikipedia, but I'm just looking for the cut-to-the-chase explanation for why we break our pricing down in this fashion, and really only for this one industry).

Can I possibly place more questions into a single post on my own blog? (apparently yes!)

Going for a Stroll(er)

After spending a lifetime with baby stroller reserves of less than 1 stroller, I am anticipating increasing my stroller reserves to upwards of 2 new, unique strollers in the very near future. Since this is a massive policy shift, it warrants proper research and due diligence...

I am now soliciting stroller advise, reccomendations, warnings etc.

My current plans are to purchase 2 strollers:

1. Very light compact stroller, such as the Uppa Baby stroller for going to the store, riding the train, bus, casual trips.

This is my leading selection:
http://www.peppyparents.com/servlet/the-286/uppababy-g-luxe-stroller/Detail

2. One "All Terrain", large wheel model for longer trips, neighborhood strolls etc.

I am not leaning toward a particular model or band of this type yet.

On Popsicles

After one of my regular popsicle based meals, it recently occurred to me that the standard popsicle box now only contains *gasp* three flavors! grape, orange, & red [I'll go ahead and assume it is cherry, though I think they have been lying to me all these years and it is really some hybrid raspberry flavor]. Interestingly, the packaging shows four popsicles on the front, with the dubious red flavored popsicle receiving double billing ...is this a clever advertising trick to create the illusion of additional flavor variety where none exists? I'll leave that question to be answered by you, faithful readers, or perhaps to be revisited in future popsicle oriented postings.

My question on this day is, what happened to the two remaining popsicle flavors of my youth, banana and brown? Is it possible that some sales representative, looking to make a name for himself, and after studying the popsicle eating behavior of millions, finally make a bold decision and swiftly eradicate these flavors? Did someone perhaps tell him of the millions of near empty popsicle boxes, left with only these two flavors [because no one really liked them anyhow] sitting in ice boxes across the country? Did they even go so far as to tell him off the cases of eager children opening multiple popsicle boxes, thus violating the universal law "you can't open the new box until you finish the last one"?

How could this popsicle zorro truly understand the consequences of his actions? Could he have predicted the loss of the one truly great popsicle based guessing game? [As everyone knows, the great gambit in popsicle selection was, for years, Do I dare go for that dark popsicle, tempting, nay taunting me through its translucent wrapping? Could it be the greatest flavor of them all, grape, or the cruel and now rejected cousin, brown?] For all these unanswered questions, I say good day to you popsicle man, I may not know whether you be friend or fiend, but I do know, I will be watching.

Editors notes: After a tumultuous night of sleeping, it occured to me that I left out the other forsaken flavor of popsicle, Green. The truth is I don't really have any first hand knowledge of that mysterious popsicle because Sam inhaled all of those.

Yoga Ball - High Tech Workout Equipment, or Overpriced Balloon

Mei Mei and I purchased a big red yoga ball (roughly 30in in diameter). So far, I've determined it is really good for stretching out the back and working the ab muscles. I'm convinced it could become the cornerstone of a full body workout; I'll just need to research other ways to manipulate it. Apparently it also makes a good seat for improving one's posture. It also does a reasonable job of scaring away the cat.

Neighbors III: Setting Things in Motion

Another chapter in our continuing story from our guest author, my mother. Is this part I of the thrilling conclusion? only time will tell...

So I come home last night and Phil announces that he has called the city to determine all the legalities of the great squirrel controversy. He has been badgering me to do this which I refused to do as I have asked him to drop this vendetta [this is no longer about squirrels, it’s a long simmering resentment on his part against the boys]. And that I would not be party to any more of his carrying on.

Well the city animal control officer had some real interesting advice: Phil explained that the lived on the southside (cleverly disguising his real location there) and was troubled by chipmunks and squirrels in his yard and wanted to know how he could get rid of them (again a clever gambit so they would be confused as to his true motive!)

NO, he could not shoot them, there is a city ordinance that bans the discharge of all firearms in the city, including pellet (bb) guns.

NO he can not poison them, again an ordinance banning such action

YES, he can live trap them and [This is the part that warrants the term “interesting advice.” ] she then proceeded to explain to him how he could then drown them in the cage if he really wanted to get rid of them, giving some advice as to how long that takes! She did warn him that some neighbors could be feeding them…from that he concluded that “they” had called and spoken to her and now she knew who he was too!

Again I said I thought it was time to get over this and that we can be vigilant about the shooting; but we should just start operating on the assumption that they are going to obey the laws and will try and live trap them and we can’t do much about that. Phil is not one to be swayed by that kind of wussie, roll over, march into the gym kind of thinking…oh no. He has plans to suit up ninja style, wait for the middle of the night, and douse their live trap in dog urine to deter the little critters from entering. When I asked him what he thought they might do in response to his sneaking onto their property at night to do this, he said they would have to catch him first. Hmm, does this all begin to go way past squirrel rescue??

Okay so now I am going to have to start filming this [I want proof when they start commitment proceedings, not sure if I am talking proof one way or the other] the image of Phil trying to collect some dog urine should be pretty good!