Pictures From Vacation

Our condo. The decor was beautiful and the location was perfect. About a 60 second walk to the boat slip and about 2 seconds to the pool. It was a short drive to Hot Springs from here, as well. All for a reasonable price, too. Angie now swears by the site: homeaway dot com.

Our boat. A 2009 21-foot party barge by Sun Catcher. It was awesome, except for the 115-hp 4-stroke motor. It was a little under powered for tubing and knee-boarding. If the kids skied we wouldn't have been able to do it. We tooled around the lake pretty good for two days and used only 30 gallons of the 40 gallon tank. We are sold on a pontoon and are now looking for a fishing version.

Cassie posing as she does in every picture. The marina was nice enough to let us borrow the three life vests so the kids could be safe. If you are ever in need of a boat on Lake Hamilton, check them out - they were very friendly and reasonable. Hot Springs Marina

Marissa knee-boarding. She was really good when she wanted to be out there. However, I think she would have been happier staying in the room and texting the whole time. She surprised me with how good she was.

Dylan swinging off one of the several islands in Lake Hamilton. We were told to stay off of them, but this swing was just too alluring to Dylan and the many other boats that anchored here to let their kids play. Dylan played here for what seemed like hours while Cassie, Marissa, Mom and I swam, ate, and sunned.

The goofy hat that Angie thought hilarious. She's still upset I didn't let her buy it and has taken to the Internet looking for the hat for me. I can think of a thousand of better things to do with $22.

The top of the hot spring cascade looking down. Standing over this place you could feel the heat and the steam coming out of the spring. Apparently, it heats to almost 150 degrees. I could really understand why the bath houses were so popular. The story goes that 5 separate tribes of American Indians would bathe in the waters under treaty, so that all were welcome. De Soto was shown the springs by the American Indians in the 1600's. The last bath house closed in 1983, although one remains open as a spa, offering the tradition bath as done 100 years ago.

One of many pictures of the kids getting along. They were awesome all week. Too bad they don't get along as good all the time, but if they are going to pick a week to do it - I am thankful it is vacation week.

A picture of the spring through a restored bath house that now serves as a National Park. The self tour through the Fordyce Bath House which is now run by the US Parks Department provided an opportunity to experience what the guests of the spa would experience. From the gymnasium, to the baths, to the cooling room, etc. the bath house is restored to its condition from its hey day in the early 1900's.

One of the few times that Angie didn't have the camera. We're tired, hot and sweaty - but also enjoying a week together with each other and the kids.

A family picture in front of the collection area for the cascade. Dylan walked up to it, plunged his hand deep into the water, and immediately screamed. It was HOT! But seeing the spring, and feeling its heat, it really helped us understand the allure of the baths. Then, we read about how the waters are from rain on the tops of the mountains from several thousands of years ago. Once again, Hot Springs became an intellectual puzzle.

All of us building a structure meant to survive a simulated earthquake. The kids were learning even though they just thought it was play. It was something we all did together, as well. The building did NOT survive.

Marissa posing by our arch. We all put it together and prayed it stay up. It did!

Don't know what this was called, but we filled it with sand and started it swinging. The sand came out of the bottom as it swung making a pretty design. I think the kids learned some patience on this one.

Angie and I snuggling. Actually, my skin isn't that dry and hers is really soft. However, she liked this picture because the gator at the bottom just crawled up to the gator on the top and put its arm around it. Pretty sweet for a cold blooded reptile.

Angie about to get Syphilis. Al Capone would frequent Hot Springs because of the soothing aspect of the baths; apparently he had a pretty bad case. He would rent out the entire fourth floor of the Arlington Hotel (his favorite room was room 442).

SL

Hot Is More Than A Name

Last week, Angie and I took the kids to Hot Springs, Arkansas for our family vacation. The decision to go to Hot Springs was made as the result several variables...the most important of which was that the vacation had to be affordable. We are saving for our 'no expense spared' vacation to all things Disney next year, so we wanted something that wasn't going to break that budget.

Secondly, the kids wanted to be near water (not surprising since they are part fish). The difficulty was deciding which type of water, salt or fresh. We considered the gulf coast, from Corpus Christi, TX all the way to Destin, FL. In the end, the kids wanted fresh water because of the options it provided - boating, tubing, knee boarding and fishing.

Once we new it was fresh water, we started searching for lakes. We wanted to go out of state for something new...and Angie found an affordable condo on the shores of Lake Hamilton near Hot Springs. That type of destination was perfect...several days of boating and a couple of days of sightseeing and other fun activities.

We left on Monday and drove north east through East Texas and ultimately to Texarkana where we stopped for lunch. Texarkana is the halfway point from Dallas to Hot Springs and the bulk of the trip travelled along I-30 which runs pretty close to our house. We arrived at the condo and got our bearings. The kids tried out the pool, we drove through downtown Hot Springs, we found our boat slip and the marina where we were to pick up our pontoon boat for a two day rental.

The first two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) were spent almost entirely on the water. Thanks to the GPS on my iPhone we were able to locate our position at all times on the lake. On day one, we checked out the lake, tubed, knee-boarded and swam. We all got sunburned pretty bad, as well. We did the same on day 2, but explored other sections of the lake.

Everyone enjoyed being on the water as there was a little bit for everyone. The kids played in the water, Angie and her mom looked at the million dollar homes, and I played Captain Scott. It was fantastic and cemented our decision to purchase a boat soon.

We played minigolf the first evening - Dylan beat Angie and I by a stroke with Cassie coming in a distant fourth. It was HOT, but we had a good time. The second evening, we drove through Hot Springs trying to get an idea as to what we wanted to do the next day. Whenever we weren't doing anything, we were swimming at the pool at the condo.

On Thursday, we went into Hot Springs. We walked 'Bath House Row' taking in the National Park tour and checking out the spas. That was really interesting. At the end of bath house row is a cascade from the spring. As we walked to it, we could feel the heat coming off of it. Dylan plunged his hand into the water and quickly pulled it out as the water can reach 147^o Fahrenheit. It wasn't until we saw the spring and felt the water that the history of the bath houses came alive. Once we could feel the heat of the water, we could imagine the crowds bathing and soaking in what they believed to be the healing powers of the waters.

We continued down Central Ave. and ended up at "The Gangster Museum of America". An hour later we knew we had been had. Basically the museum consisted of small exhibit areas where they make you watch a 5-10 minute film on the history of organized crime, corruption, and gambling in Hot Springs. Although interesting, the way the museum presented the information was horrible. Thankfully, although dreadfully bored, the kids behaved wonderfully. We ended the day back at the pool and with a pizza dinner. The memory of the wasted hour at TGMOA faded.

Friday was supposed to be just a leisurely drive home day, but the museum really soured us (and we wanted to end on a good note since the kids had been so well behaved), we decided to add a couple of stops to our itinerary.

The first stop was "The Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo". Now, I understand that anything with "petting zoo" in the name is going to suck, but the kids were into it, so we went. Our expectations were low and were met. The petting zoo had some goats and a donkey. We weren't allowed near the deer that were advertised. I've been to better petting zoos at the fair or at the zoo. This one was really bad. The rest of the place was poorly done, as well. The alligator pits were what you'd expect and the cougars and wolf were pathetic. I really felt bad for them in their small enclosures. The rest of the animals didn't look so great either. The kids were happy, so when it comes to something like that, it's all that counts.

Our last stop was the "Mid America Science Museum" where we could touch and do the activities. Dylan was the only kid who wanted to go, but the girls persevered. Once we got their, they were pleasantly surprised - and so was I. We built bridges, boats, airplanes, buildings, windmills and a ton of other structures - all to see various scientific properties. The kids thought it was about playing with stuff, but we know better. They were learning, and so were the grownups. Their 1.5M volt Tesla coil was my favorite - and I learned that Tesla was working on wireless power long before Apple, Sony and IBM.

We left the museum, and Arkansas at about 3:30. We stopped at Ta Molly's on I-30 on Greenville, TX. I mention that because the food was some of the BEST Mexican that we've ever had. If you ever have opportunity to eat at one of them, do so - it is fabulous.

We came home to two very excited dogs and crashed...although vacations are wonderful, it is ALWAYS great getting home. And, it is unbelievable how tired you are when you do get home. I know that for now on, I will always include a weekend between the end of a vacation and a return to work - so I can rest from what was supposed to be a restful week.

SL

Everyone's Gone...Almost

I wonder what Angie is doing right now? Relaxing in the jet tub with a cold glass of Chablis? Taking a nap? Stretched out on the couch watching Oprah while snacking on bon bons?

I'm not sure what she's doing, but it probably isn't any of the above. If she isn't working hard, she's probably at the computer looking at decorating blogs, connecting on Facebook, or catching up on e-mail.

That's assuming she's not doing anything.

Why would I be wondering this of all days? Because for the entire week, she has three of her very needy family on the road. Dylan and Marissa are at church camps and I am at our Support Center in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This, by itself, would like result in a relaxing week. However, add to the fact that Cassie is going to drama camp for 3 hours a day, and Angie really has some quiet time to enjoy. Given that Justin is likely to be at work or school during much of these days, and I can hear what she is thinking...

"Can you hear that? Silence! How awesome."

Although, knowing Angie, she'll enjoy it for a day or two, and then the silence will start to bother her. She's a real friend to her kids. She genuinely enjoys their company and, by Wednesday, she'll be missing them terribly. She probably will not start to miss me until later because I am much more needy than the kids. That will hit on Thursday or Friday.

By then, the kids will be returning, she'll have to go do Cassie's week end production, and I will be arriving late.

I hope she enjoys the quiet and her week...she'll need to charge her batteries for our family vacation to Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

'Cause I'm needy!

SL

Truth Hurts

Angie came up to my office last night. She asked me what I intended to do that evening with respect to Cassie's second lost tooth since Thursday. Basically, she was looking for a plan for that evening's Tooth Fairy (T.F.) activities.

After explaining to Angie what I had in mind, she let me in on the fact that Cassie had been asking her if the Tooth Fairy is real. Angie thinks that honesty is the best policy in these situations. Me, I prefer to lie my ass off. I think that we should let the kids believe as long as possible because once it's gone, it's gone forever.

Our differences in opinion caused a major battle when Angie decided on her own to let Cassie in on the Easter bunny secret. I was livid when she did. The way I look at it is that I only get one shot at this stuff with Cassie and I want to enjoy it for as long as possible. So, even though the Easter Bunny was gone, I still had Santa and the Tooth Fairy....now, I only have Santa.

After Angie told me about Cassie's questions, I called Cassie up to my office. She sat on the bed with me at my desk. I asked her about her questions and I asked her if she REALLY wanted to know the truth. She said she did. I asked her why it mattered and she told me that some of her friends told her the T.F. wasn't real. I asked her again if she REALLY wanted to know, and again she said yes. So, I went against my better judgement and told her the truth - that mommy and daddy were the T.F.

She clearly didn't believe what I was saying. Had I thought more quickly, I would have told her that I was only kidding and left it at that...but I didn't, I said it again,

"Mommy and Daddy are the Tooth Fairy"

I felt like a monster...I FEEL like a monster. You should have seen her; she looked like someone that just got punched in the stomach. She asked for proof. I told her about her tooth exchanges, including the one that happened two night previous. She asked to see the teeth. I had the first one in my drawer, so I showed her. By then, the truth was starting to sink in and that is when I made my most serious mistake of the evening.

I told her that now that she knew the truth, that the tooth for cash thing was off the table.

By her reaction, you would have thought that I just told her that her best friend, favorite puppy and Joe Jonas were all just killed in a freak accident. She bawled. Not for a couple of minutes, but for a long while.

It seems that her being upset had nothing to do with the actual demise of the T.F., but with the fact that she wasn't going to get cash money anymore. I tried to console her, but she was having none of it...so, what's a good dad to do? I told her to put her tooth under her pillow and we'll see what happens.

She woke up and the world was all well again. She had $2 more than the day before.

That's the cheapest crisis avoidance fee that I have ever paid, and well worth it. In fact, I think she thinks that last night's revelation was nothing more than a dream. Mom told her that she didn't put the money under there, and I said the same. I told her I passed out and never came downstairs to do it.

So, that $2 not only repaired the hurt that she felt, but I think she may actually believe in old T.F again. We'll see - she's got some more loose teeth.

SL

It's OK To Lose

I've posted previously my dislike of California. I should clarify that statement. I dislike the economic liberalism that is the state's government - a liberalism that is manifest in ways that seem to say, 'You are too foolish to protect yourselves, so the state will do it for you.' I hate the thought that the government seems to think they know what's best for me and that I don't have the freedom to live like a jerk if I should choose.

That being said, there are some things about the state that I do like. The state itself is beautiful and contains two of my all-time favorite cities, San Francisco and San Diego. I also have good friends and colleagues there, so it isn't all bad.

Ultimately, however, the state is bankrupt and I can't help but think that it has something to do with the above liberalism. And, just so I can say 'I told you so', the same California left-wing thought process is in charge of our national government, as well (bashing Pelosi could be a future post).

So, if you are still reading through this rant, you are probably asking, "why is he going off on California again?" The answer is because California seems to follow the European way of thinking and something has been occurring in the EU that just seems wrong.

My fear is that I will be seen as a Microsoft apologist, but the EU is so far off base with how it is addressing anti-competitiveness issues with Microsoft that I feel compelled to blog about it. And the same thought process that is pervasive in California is running the show here. The 'we are too stupid to take care of ourselves thought'.

In a nutshell, the EU has been battling Microsoft for years saying that it has unfairly used its market position to stifle competition. The use the whole Windows Media Center vs. Real Player thing as one example. The current battle is Internet Explorer vs. Netscape and other browsers. I won't comment about the ultimate claim, but even if Microsoft has wrongly taken advantage of their position to squeeze out the competition, the EU hasn't handled this case well. They fined Microsoft and stated that IE presents an unfair advantage.

So, what does Microsoft do? They announce that they'll sell Windows without IE.

Now, the EU states that this solution isn't adequate. Yet, Microsoft has addressed the concern that has been communicated by the EU.

But, since the concern wasn't communicated well, the EU has to backtrack. They want Windows to ship with alternatives. Ultimately, the EU got what it wanted, but now that it did, it wants more. This is where I have a problem...

The EU wants Windows to sell with a competitors' products integrated. Does that make sense? Would that be like making Airbus ship planes with Boeing parts? Or Nokia phones ship with Motorola parts? I don't get it. And, I don't get it because there are choices out there. If you don't want to use the MS browser, download Firefox or Safari. Both are available, work really well, and are free. In fact, in the time it took to post this message, I downloaded and installed Safari (I already had Firefox installed). A recent article states that half of eleven million Safari downloads have been on Windows machines, demonstrating that this is exactly what consumers are doing.

Therefore, my message to the EU is, "get off of our desktops." We're not as stupid as you think we are - and even if we were, freedom means that we are allowed to act in ways that might be counter to our well-being. In fact, it is the ultimate freedom that allows participants TO LOSE.

That's what we seem to have lost [pun intended]. At the end of the day, every little leaguer who plays doesn't have to get a trophy. In order to win, someone has to lose. You can't have one without the other. In today's bail-out, hand-out society, it seems that winning has now become a bad word, and that it is wrong to allow anyone to lose. The problem with that, is that you take all motivation to compete away. Look at the 32-hour work week in France, or the socialism that is becoming more and more common in Europe, or in California.

Perhaps the best way to ensure competition isn't to restrict the participants but to ensure that losing is a real possibility.

SL

I Dare Ya!

Some marriages are good, some not so much. I would venture a guess, however, that most marriages could stand to improve. Whether it is an unresolved issue or some other nit that continues to bother, we all have areas in which we can get better.

My marriage is no different.

Angie and I have spent an interesting eight plus years together. Some times have been very difficult, some have been heavenly. Ultimately, we are always looking to make them better.

Enter the movie, "Fireproof". I have a link to it on the right side on this website. We watched it a couple of months ago and are soon to start a small group couples study on it. However, it wasn't until I took the dare that things started to change.

I started "The Love Dare" a couple of weeks ago. "The Love Dare" is made up of 40 daily dares that we are to do for our spouse. Some are as easy as being intentional about your greeting. Some are very difficult, like not saying a negative thing to our spouse for an entire day. "The Love Dare" is the premise behind the movie. A marriage that is falling apart due to neglect is saved because one of them learns unconditional love through the dare.

Although I would say that Angie and I aren't in danger of failing anytime soon, our marriage isn't all that it could be...and we both know it. So, I took it upon myself to take the dare. I kept it a secret until one of the dares instructs us to ask our spouse for things that bug them about us. Once I asked her, she knew I was doing it.

I recently completed day nine (I've redone some days due to failing on the first try, and some days I couldn't do that particular day for some reason or another, so nine daily dares have taken a couple of weeks - that's OK, though. Its more about the journey as a whole than each of the tasks). Things have already changed for us. Day seven, in particular, was a real eye-opener. We are instructed to make a list of the good things about our spouse and another list of the bad. The good list took about two minutes and took over the entire page. The bad list took about a half an hour, and I only could think of a handful of items. It wasn't what I expected. What I learned is that I dwell on the few negatives instead of the many positive. All of the dares have a learning opportunity if you let them.

I guess I have been letting them because Angie says she sees a difference. I know we've been closer to each other, kinder to each other, and have enjoyed each other's company more.

I think I'm changing in her eyes, as well...I feel like she's appreciating me more and that I've become easier to love. In fact, if what she posted on Facebook today is any indication, things are excellent.

She wrote, "[Angie] thinks she has an amazing husband! He loves me enough to be who God intended him to be!!! Love you, baby! ;)"

I can't think of kinder words from the most important person to me on the Earth. You want your spouse to say the same?

C'mon, I dare ya!

SL

Burrito Bleakness

I'm a big guy. You only have to have read this blog a couple of times to know that I am in need of losing serious weight. As such, it should be no surprise to anyone that I enjoy a good meal. Once in a while I have a real hankering for something. Starting yesterday, that hankering focused on a steak burrito from Chipotle.

I think Chipotle (pronounced: chi-POTE-lay) is the most amazing thing wrapped into a sixteen inch flour tortilla.

I was introduced to Chipotle when I ran the security operations center at McAfee. They were a customer and the engineers that worked for me LOVED the place. I think that's why they had to visit the store weekly, in person, to reconfigure the routers. That work could have been done remotely, but then there would have been no steak, chicken, barbacoa, or other meats shoved into a large tortilla with black beans, cilantro rice, guacamole, cheese, lettuce and a selection of salsas ranging from the mild roasted corn to the very hot tomatillo red.

Just typing up the description above makes my mouth water.

However, as I chowed down on my celebratory post colon-/endo- scopy burrito, I shared the experience with Angie and Justin, both of which are not only picky eaters, but have not really been acquainted with Chipotle. As they dissembled their burritos, I knew it was going to be a weird meal. Any experienced Chipotle-aphile knows you never unwrapped the foil around the burrito. The roll it down as you eat so everything stays together.

Next, both of my lunch companions began to open op their burrito. I nearly fell off my chair. Angie's had tomatoes which she does not eat. She was the victim of a poorly placed order. Justin was just looking for the chicken. He didn't care for the rice, the beans, or the roasted corn salsa. I just shook my head and ate in silence. Justin took my silence as though I didn't enjoy my meal. Not at all. I just couldn't understand why they didn't enjoy theirs.

So, I finished my burrito as quickly as possible and departed the scene. I did, however, learn a couple of lessons. The most important is to never eat Chipotle with people that special order from McDonalds. Next time I have a craving, I'll go alone.

SL