Author: Joel

Porch Swing Bliss

Last week I got the bug for some basic home improvement.  We have a lovely front porch on our house and for the longest time had a couple of folding chairs, a plastic picnic table (kid-sized) and several pint-sized . . . mmmmmmmm pint . . . chairs.  There were hooks already installed in the ceiling of the porch but they were of questionable descent.  So, after removing the old, scary hooks I realized that there was acceptable safety in what the hooks were installed in.

I ran to the home improvement store and picked up some eye-hooks, springs, quicklinks and a porch swing.  What a difference a porch swing makes!  We have sat upon that thing everyday since the installation.  The weather here is not oppressively hot yet so it has been enjoyable to be on our front porch.  With the occasional waves and “How ya doin’?”‘s with the people who live on our street it has been a different world.

Then there is the other side of front porch livin’.  We observe the traffic patterns on our street better from our perch.  It’s looking like there might be some drug/prostitution activity farther down on our street.  Ah, gotta love life in East Nashville.  We hope things might change for the better since we’re outside more.  And with the Young Extroverted One playing with the neighboor’s son there is more of a presence of children and family life.  Hopefully, a family with children will move in on the other side of our house to further encourage community.

In the meantime, Bosco (90 pound mixed breed of BIG ancestry) will be on the porch with us during this lovely stretch of weather.  It also won’t hurt to make a courtesy call to the East Precinct‘s non-emergency phone number.

Crossdressing Wabbits and Cartoon Physics

The Young Extroverted One received her latest disc from Netflix yesterday. It was The Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 1, Disc 1 and it was as funny to me now as it was to me when I was a kid. Luckily for me it was funny for her too.

I have always wondered if the old cartoons can make a youngin’ laugh now and they do.  Sure, there were some things that they wouldn’t put in a cartoon nowadays but I think it was way over YEO’s head.  Plus, I think I turned out alright after watching all of those cartoons as a kid.  Right?

Hockey in the South: A Perk from Winning the War of Northern Aggression?

As some of you already know, I love hockey. I love it on TV and more so in person. As long as I can see the whole sheet of ice to watch plays develop and other shenanigans that occur out of the camera’s watchful eye. But being at a game surrounded by these Nashvillian fans makes watching the game in person very interesting.

I went to Game 2 in the Stanley Cup Western Quarterfinals. Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks. It was a great game to watch. The Preds won 5-2, by the way. Rivalries almost always develop during a series and this is no different. After events of Game 1 I expected this game to be a chippy and penalty riddled one. And it was.

The fans really went after the referees. Which seems to be common among sports. So, I was wondering if the fans (at least hockey fans) hate the ref’s calls because of the heat of the moment (which I tend to fall under when I don’t like a call)? Or are they just ignorant of the rules and how a referee makes calls?

It kind of irks me when I see a play develop and one player is really making a play for the puck and in the process trips his opponent and then the fans jump all over the ref. Sure, it sucks that it happened but it was a play on the puck not on the opponent’s feet. The refs have a hard enough job as it is and if he makes a mistake more than likely there will be a ‘make-up’ call. It happens. We move on. Unless a call shifts the momentum and outcome of the game. But I don’t think that happens very much in hockey in my very humble opinion.

The fights were a big deal, too. The paper here wrote a bunch about the number of penalty minutes and blah, blah, blah. The game ended with 3 pairs of players duking it out (which, as a Predators fan I’m sad to say, we lost those fights). What a better way to keep the momentum way up for the road trip! The Sharks wanted to make a statement by saying, “We may have lost but we can still kick your ass!” And the Preds may have been saying, “We won this game and we will take it to your house and kick your ass!” Hey, it’s the playoffs! And it’s hockey! That the way they roll (as the kids are want to say nowadays).

Another thing about the fans here (and probably anywhere there is a gimmick like this) chanted, “WE WANT TACOS! WE WANT TACOS!” WTF?!?! I was informed by my arena neighbor that everytime the Preds score 5 goals in a game you can take your ticket to Taco Bell to get a free taco. They may want tacos but I wanted the Preds to win more than I want a free Taco Bell taco. When I said this out loud my kind neighbor said “It’s 4-1 we got this.” Need I remind you that it was only the 2nd period and in Game 1 the Preds came from behind to tie it up ultimately losing in double OT. This is hockey! Anything can happen and when it does it happens quickly! Plus, Taco Bell tacos are pretty crappy.

**If my buddy Jeff reads this I kindly ask him to make comments on the game of hockey in my comments section. I always look to him for a different perspective on the game. Not only is he Canadien but he also used to referee in the Junior League (I believe). So, Jeff write something insightful or referee-like in the comments! Anybody else for that matter, too. What do you think?**

File Under the WTF Files

Arrest is first under homeless-feeding law – Orlando Sentinel : Orange County News

A long-simmering dispute between homeless advocates and Orlando officials intensified Wednesday with the arrest of an activist feeding transients in Lake Eola Park downtown.

Eric Montanez, 21, is the first to be arrested under the city’s
controversial ordinance that bars feeding large groups of people in downtown parks without a special permit. The rule was approved last summer after residents and businesses in
Orlando’s gentrifying downtown complained that parks were being used as soup kitchens.

The arrest enraged volunteers, who said it was proof that the city
cares little for its neediest residents.

“Police are arresting people for feeding the homeless,” local ACLU President George Crossley said. “This has been a truly disgusting day.”

I am just speechless. I can’t think of a thing to write in response to this sillyness. Ugh.

Blogged with Flock

**UPDATED: Peter Rabbit vs. Jesus Christ*

*But not that vampire hunter version. That wouldn’t be fair for that poor rabbit.

The other day the crew (Young Extroverted One, Elder Extroverted Holy One and I) went to the 12th South Taproom to attend the CD release party of Leslie McClure. We got there a little too early but we sort of planned to eat before the show. After finishing our meal the YEO started to get restless and began singing Easter songs which mostly consisted of bunnies and stuff.

While we aren’t freaky and fundamental about it we do try to be intentional about the Christian holidays. So, EEHO brought up that we also, and mostly, celebrate the resurrection of Jesus at this time of year. “So, why don’t we sing songs about Jesus instead of Easter?”** thus spake the YEO. Because in her mind Easter is the candy and bunnies and chicks and that annoying fake grass you put in baskets.

It’s kind of difficult to keep a balance between the secular, commercial side of holidays and the other religious side. For Pete’s sake (ya like that don’t ya?), the YEO is a potential preacher’s kid. She shouldn’t go through life just celebrating the Roman-pagan holidays. I think she needs to see both sides of the festivities (while not demanding the double-up of goodies).

Not only do we like to be religiously appropriate but also historically appropriate. It’ll make for a nice clash of ideals for teachers/authoritarian figures to deal with later. Maybe we’ll send her to a private Christian academy of some sort in Kansas.

**UPDATE: Apparently, my recollections of the YEO’s quote were clouded by the many Highland Brewing Company’s Gaelic Ales that I consumed. I suppose the EEHO should be my editor before I publish my posts. But that would take way too long.

The Young Extroverted One actually said, “Why would we sing songs about Jesus at Easter?” I apologize for my misquoting of the YEO lest she sue me for libel.

The Young Extroverted One’s ‘Hockey Night in Nashville’*

The Young Extroverted One has gone to her first hockey game. Last week we had ‘YEO and Daddy Hockey Night’ on Tuesday. It was the Edmonton Oilers vs. the Nashville Predators but if you asked her she would just shove her stuffed Gnash in your face and tell you that she enjoyed the game.My highlights were sharing the sport that I love with my daughter and the Preds winning. Her highlight was actually seeing Gnash and having him wave at her every time he came out from the concourse to our particular vomitorium to do his bits during stoppages. Around the fourth sighting and frantic waving I do believe Gnash was starting to wear down. I wouldn’t have been the least bit surprised to hear him say, “Kid! Leave me the ‘F’ alone! Sigh.” But he was gracious and his arm, I assume, got very tired.

Well played, Gnash. Well played!

YEO made it to almost seven minutes into the third period! I was expecting to leave earlier. But she was great, the game was great, some of the fans around us were annoying and a little dumb and Gnash was a gentleman sabre-tooth Tiger.

*First, I must beg forgiveness from my friends of the Canadien persuasion when I referenced ‘Hockey Night in Canada.’ Not having DirecTV and the Center Ice Package anymore I sure miss the CBC‘s beloved Saturday night games and mean no disrespect to that fine institution.