Amusing Stories

My mother in law is working out great watching the girls, but she is finding that it can be tiring 4-5 days of the week. So what that turns into, is that we are looking for a nanny that would be willing to work Tuesdays from 8:30-5:30p at our house. Know someone? Send them my way!

Hrmmm I hoped to have more of the world done by now...

visited 30 states (13.3%)
Create your own visited map of The World or another interesting project

Bre Pettis, host of MAKE magazine’s video blog and maker in residence at MAKE TV has posted the manifesto of the “Cult of Done.” It is worth reading…hell, it’s worth posting in its entirety:


1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you’re doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you’re doing even if you don’t and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you’re done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It’s boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.

As many of y'all know I am a two time survivor of cancer. I lost my hair twice when I went through chemo, and it was one of the more demoralizing aspects of the ordeal. Especially the first time when I had hair down to my elbows. It was such an outward representation of fighting the disease that it could have crushed my spirit if it hadn't been the support of all my friends and family.

Well, there is an organization, St. Baldricks (stbaldricks.org), that is raising money to help fight against cancer for children specifically. The children that I got to know during my time in the chemo labs were amazing people, and this organization is throwing an event on March 21st at teh Dell Children's Hospital where kids going through chemo will get to come down, shave other people's heads and share stories. I am really excited about being able to help them out, my bagpipe band will be playing for the festivities and I will also be shaving my head to help out.

If you can donate even a few bucks or want to learn more, please check out http://bit.ly/BaldAndre
or you can search for me on the StBaldricks.org site as well. And if you are local, come on out to either Mother Egan's on St. Patty's day (my bagpipe band will be playing all day, every three hours) or to Dell Children's Hospital March 21st (where we will have the actual kids going through chemo out doing the shaving)

Much Love and thanks,
Andre

So when gas was eeking towards and over $4/gallon I got pretty interested in building a better commuter bicycle. It is a nice 12 mile ride from my house to the station, the only problem is that my bagpipes are mighty heavy to lug with me. I tried a BOB bicycle trailer, but I just didn't like the way that changed the dynamics of the bike.

Some research on the majic internet box lead me to start investigating an Xtracycle . They have a great community and I finally got set on the Surly Big Dummy. Now since this was on the pricier of options, I have been looking for good deals on line, and saving my allowance to fund this little project.

After months of piecing the parts together, I finally was able to get: all the pieces together; cajole one my bike mechanic friends; and his tools all in the same place to work on it.

6 hours later I have one very fun, smooth ride!



If that link doesn't work you can see it at Facebook= http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1230650&id=580148147
or KG = http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=mnn0kob.56x9ztxn&x=0&y=qsp2iz&localeid=en_US
or on Flickr = http://www.flickr.com/photos/juggling_chaos/3091217241/

Look at what my wonderful wife made me for my 1st Fathers Day!! Look at www.livejournal.com/leighster

I must admit that Leigh is the toughest person I know, and that includes all firefighters. April 10th started at 7am and went developed to 15 hours of labor, 3+hrs of pushing and finaly 2 beautiful baby girls, each weighed 6lbs 1oz, both in the 19inch range.

Already they are showing their individual characteristics, Rowan is the older by 1/2 an hour, looks like her dad, much more pickier of an eater and likes to sleep with her parents. Evelyn looks like a mini-Leigh, eats like champ and can sleep anywhere.

Mom is doing great, and we head home tomorrow.

Too tired to post much, but you can see the results of the 18hrs of labor

here

Everyone is doing great...
Will post more later...

One of my favorite authors has just finished a fanfic Firefly novel. It is Creative Commons, so free to read, download, and pass around!

http://dreamcafe.com/firefly.html

So our band is going to be helping Fado's run their St. Patty's Day Celebration. We are going to be providing folk to run door patrol, take tickets, check IDs and other low pressure jobs from 11am-midnight.

In exchange for a 2 or 3 hour shift you get: Free entrance to event ($20 value), beer and food tickets, and a t-shirt. We have 18 different positions a shift, so we are looking for any friends and family of the band!

If it sounds like fun, drop me a line!

SO we are looking to get a land line for the house, will help when L works from home, or if we end up getting a nanny for the girls.

Does anyone have any recommendations? Any good Packages? Anyone? Bueller? Voodoo Economics...

Ho ho ho to all!!! Hope you spend it doing what you love!

So this week I have bicycled four out of five days. For a total of 40 miles spent in the open air, lugging about 50lbs of gear on my bike trailer.

And I love it! I get to get some cardio in, which will hopefully compensate for the time I am spending sitting on my butt studying.

My only concern is that it tends to get dark so darn early, and my cold weather layers are a bit dark in color....

hrmm guess I may have to use that money I am saving on fuel on bicycle merch.

Hey Everyone! The time has come, finally it is my time to shine! To strut my stuff on the catwalk! Well, actually, I don't know if there will be a catwalk, but still should be a good time.

Thursday, Nov 8th, 6:00-9:00PM at Cool River Cafe (4001 Palmer Lane). Come on out, should be a fun time!

Especially since I made the cover! Must have been judged by blind folks ;-)

Oh also, I need catchy little sayings to sign my month. I get to be March!

So I am taking suggestions... please :-D

You will be able to see ( Read more... )

http://www.kxan.com/global/story.asp?s=7042040

I know that it can be read different, but I am going to cling to it was my piping that they were talking about!

Check out http://www.freespiritspheres.com/index.htm spherical tree houses!!! how cool is that?

Go help me make the calendar, because darn it, they need some big personality, less wash boards!

Check out http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=4132352&version=4&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=PSTY&pageId=1.1.1

and vote for yours truly!

Well I have realized, that all my work outs have been brute force, lifting tires, swinging 16lb sledge hammers, dragging tires type of late. Leaving my cardio woefully deficient, so I am trying to remedy that. Especially since I prefer cardio that grinding my nose to the books :)

Monday: 4.5 mile run
Tuesday: 16mi road bike (south Mo-Pac loop)
Wed: 3 mile run + 1/2 mile swim at deep eddy


I really enjoyed the swimming portion, especially after running in the heat. If anyone wants to join up for any of this type of cardio, my schedule is pretty flexible.