The TV fell on me...

We have been sending our kids to a pre-school both as a chance to build some social skills and break their separation anxiety. Also it gives Jodi some time to study for class and catch up on her reading and papers for that. I fully expected that one day I would have to come to the school to get the kids because they were sick or something like that. I never thought I would get a call like I did on Monday.

Monday after lunch my cell rang and it was the school admin who proceeded to tell me that Jack had been hurt. Well that stuff happens, kids get in fights or fall off playground equip. I shouldn't have been surprised. But then she said, a tv fell on him and he has a pretty bad cut, but we have been able to stop the bleeding.

At this point my mind goes into overdrive. I just picture Jack laid out on the floor surrounded by a pool of his own blood. Basically every CSI episode I have watched came flashing into my head.

Of course it wasn't this bad, but until I see him I can't get the images out of my mind.

Then I have to call Jodi and tell her what happened. Critical point - must stay calm. Of course Jodi is upset - rightfully so, but to the point she would probably physically assault someone. So I try to remind her that first priority is Jack, then after he is better we can go physically assault whoever she feels like. Thankfully, this worked and she picked up Jack without incident.

My parents were in town (we were supposed to have a birthday party for Jack that night - cancelled of course) so they were able to pick up Molly. But not without my mom berating staff members who had nothing to do with what happened. For those of you that know her you can imagine...

So on to the hospital. And when I arrived Jack was sitting with his head in Mom's lap and looked up with a big grin and said "Daddy!" So even though I knew in my heart all along that he was alright, there was something about seeing it in his eyes and hearing it in his voice.

Jack liked the hospital, up until the time where Jodi and I had to hold him down while the doctor sewed the gash in his head shut with four stitches. The doctors were impressed with his vocabulary..."I'm stuck, I want to go home, it hurts my head"...delivered at full decibels. Thankfully the doctors were quick and they had a green popsicle, but those few minutes felt like hours as I looked at Jack's eyes imploring me to let him up and take him home.

Now I want to be clear here. This was an accident and although I am mad my son got hurt, I don't hold any ill will toward the school or the people working there. I am sure they were just as upset as we were that a child had been hurt.

I also know that this is probably not the last trip to the er with my kids. I hope that it is, but reality tells me that is not likely.

So Monday night as we went to sleep Jack told and retold the story of his day. "The kids pushed me. The tv fell on me. My head got hurt. I had to go to the hospital. I was stuck. I said 'I want to go home.' I got a popsicle." And over and over until he finally talked himself to sleep. "The tv fell on me..."

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Jack's birthday was Aug 26 - the day I posted this, but I started writing it on the 24th so for some reason blogger picked this date. Anywho...



Where have three years gone? You have grown so big from the little baby we were introduced to three years ago. You are a wonderful story teller and I love to hear you tell me stories of the trains and their adventures on the island of Sodor. You are a wonderful singer and I love to hear you sing whatever song comes to mind. You are a wonderful actor and I love to act out with you your favorite scenes. You are a wonderful big brother and I love to see you grow your patience and understanding and love for your little sister. You are a wonderful son and I love you very much!

I never could have fathomed the joy you would bring, the wonder that fills your eyes, the completeness I feel when you let me hold you, the emptiness I have when you are away, the awesome love that swells my heart because of you.

I already can't believe you have been our gift for three years. Today I thank God for that gift and I ask him to continue showering me with your blessings.

Happy Birthday Jack! You are much loved!

Uniforms

Maybe this is an insight into why I like Project Runway, but I do have a fascination with sports uniforms and logos. Mainly the sports I follow - football, baseball and basketball.

I have added a link to the side bar to a blog called Uniwatch. Paul Lukas writes a column for ESPN some times and even though it can get fairly tedious sometimes, most of the times it is really interesting.

Growing up in houston I have endured some fairly dubious uniforms. Like these:




So needless to say I haven't been able to be a fan of the best uniforms in the country. I used to love the houston oilers uniforms. When houston got a new team the most exciting part of it to me was what were they going to call it and what were the uniforms going to be. I think they went middle of the road with both. They could have done a lot more with the opportunity and colors.

Sadly,I have always thought that the cowboys have the best logo in the league. Simple, classic and you have no doubt who it is.



In baseball it doesn't get more classic than the yankees. No one pulls off pinstripes like they can. But to me baseball is all about the caps. The one thing that most normal people will walk around wearing.

And I have always loved the detroit scripted D - especially their old away caps with the orange D, and the Boston B. But it is hard to buy these caps when you support other teams.

For those that like sports stylings check out the Uniwatch column on ESPN or at his blog.

Guilty Pleasure

I think every married guy goes through this at some point. There are some tv shows that just must be watched by the better half. So in order to have a more perfect union you will watch these shows in order to get a few football games on a saturday afternoon when you should be mowing the yard or other sundry project.

Anyway, if you are lucky enough the chosen show will be bearable enough to at least watch without wanting to gouge your eyes out. But on the rare occasion some of these shows can actually draw you in and then you are hooked.

I don't know how else to say this...but I am hooked on Project Runway.

Project Runway

What that says about me I have no idea. This was a show where I at best thought, "oh the show with Heidi Klum - I can watch the scenes with her in between reading Newsweek". Well, last night, Newsweek actually got put to the floor and wasn't even opened. I can't believe this is happening. But let me just run down the reasons this show has suckered me in and then you can make your own judgments about me and my tastes.

1. The concept. I will give most reality shows that have the vote off gimmick a chance just because the contestants reactions to the votes can be worth it alone. Survivor was the innovator, and while some have failed (big brother) others have made this a very effective tool. It works on PR - they have pulled it off well. Bonus points for the gimmicky "Your In" or "Your Out" votes.

2. The afore mentioned Heidi Klum. First off she is really attractive, I don't think this is really debatable, but you can go ahead if you are so inclined. But it isn't just the looks that have drawn me to the show. It is how somehow she tries to make herself into some fashion know-it all, and the funny way she tries to deliver the lines the producers wrote for her when she has to vote someone out. Also I enjoy her trying to hide her german accent - good times.

3. Watching catty women be catty. Call this the Melrose Place effect. For some reason this can be so entertaining. The personalities on this show work great for this.

4. Watching overtly homosexual men act like catty women. Never new how much fun this could be. And trust me even as I write this I don't know what that says about me.

5. Watching complete flakes like Vincent and Bradley. Unless you have seen the show no way to describe this.

6. I am constantly amazed by how these people can make dresses in 2 days for $100 bucks and they look great. And I can't believe I am actually caring about how dresses look. But the accountant in me knows for sure that every time I am buying some clothing I should be paying $5 for it based on their performances.

7. The way the celebrity judges can be merciless. Just last night they told one designer she had made the model look like a plus size minnie mouse. Just thinking of how that model was going to go home and plot out a program to figure out how she was going to survive on rice cakes for 3 weeks made me chuckle.

8. I don't even know the guys name, but the one that always comes in and critiques the designers mid project. That guy has the best looks of disgust. just classic. Plus he is another overtly homosexual male, so that adds another dimension to the whole delivery.

9. Being able to root for a good guy. There are a couple of people on the show that are truly worth rooting for (at least how the producers have presented them). It is always nice to have someone worth rooting for and not just against.

10. The classic both cheek send-off kiss with "aufweidersehen" good-by by Heidi.

So there you have it. I have been sucked in. It was already on the DVR for the better half, but is now a weekly stop down for me as well.

So remember in fashion one day your in, the next day your out.

Aufweidersehen!

Public Service Announcement

Since labor day has now pased us by we are fully entering the fall season. This means cooler days and a little more rain (hopefully), shorter nights, and football on the tube - interupted of course by countless political adverstisements. Because of course, fall means - campaign season!

To follow up on my earlier political ranting and ravings I have decided that it might be important to break down the candidates for Texas governor for the layman. So in an effort to help the greater public, and with all apologies to the League of Women Voters, I will now present the Normal Human Party (a political party of 1)Voters Guide to the Texas Gubernatorial Elections.


Rick Perry - Texas Governor

Pros: (1)Knows how to influence others from his position of authority. This trait was clearly demonstrated when he was pulled over by a TX State Trooper and asked to just "get on down the road" - bravado at its finest. Didn't show up so well with school finance.
(2) He used to be a Democrat. So this way he can represent both parties equally.
(3) Has been an excellent ambassador for TX in the Caribbean.
(4) Has some Aggie in him


Cons: (1) Has presided over a TX government which has continuously cut funding to state parks and wildlife - not good times, bad times.
(2) TX continues to struggle with school finance, insurance for children and property tax relief. Not sure anyone else would have fixed it, but Slick Rick for sure hasn't
(3) Has some Aggie in him

Special Mention: Has the best hair for a TX gov. It won't move in a West Texas wind storm and can handle the humidity of the coast. Hair actually hasn't moved since 1986. Also, NHP has enjoyed his presentation of state high school basketball championship trophies.

Carole Strayhorn
Pros: (1) Unwilling to admit the fact that she would have gotten trounced by the sitting governor - decided to run as an independent - where she will get trounced.
(2) If elected, there is a greater than zero chance that if you made a surprise visit to the governor's mansion that you would either get chocolate chip cookies or a freshly baked pie.
(3) Just crazy enough to make life fun for four years

Cons: (1) Wants to run as "Grandma" - potentially confusing hundreds of young voters thinking that their actual grandma somehow made it on the ballot.
(2) If elected, there is a greater than zero chance that if you made a surprise visit to the governor's mansion that it would be filled with the scent of that oil of olay "old lady" powder (you know you know what NHP is saying) and you would get your cheeks squeezed.

Special Mention: Sons both work for president Bush - either a pro or con depending on how you lean and since NHP is impartial it is just a special mention.

Chris Bell
Pros: ?????
Cons: ?????

Special Mention: Has any one told him that he is running for governor? I can't believe the democrats have wasted their money on this effort. Has about as much chance of winning as a snowball has of surviving outside my office building today.

As a side note - I drove by the Tarrant County Democratic Headquarters the other day by chance. Let me just say the location of the building and how it looks wouldn't strike fear in the hearts of many republicans. I guess on the bright side maybe they are making an effort to save money.

Kinky Friedman

Pros: (1) Campaign motto: "How Hard Could it Be?" - rings truer than many wish to believe.
(2) Already introduces himself as "Governor" when making campaign stops.
(3) He backs teachers and I tend to believe him.
(4) Greater than zero chance that there would be a Wille Nelson concert on the front steps of the governor mansion. Already a confirmed concert by Jimmy Buffet in austin as a fund raiser. very good times.

Cons: (1) Has a fund raising t-shirt that says, "May the God of your choosing Bless You" - not up NHP's alley, but it does get points for creativity.
(2) Probably would not get anything accomplished just because of spite from all the other republicans and democrats who are pissed off that Kinky Friedman actually was the governor of texas.
(3) TX will be considered the Minnesota of the south.

Special Mention: Would be the first Jewish governor in TX. Also first sitting governor likely to get arrested for open container violations and possession of controlled substances.

Well there you have it folks. A scientific breakdown of this years candidates for Texas Governor. NHP predictions for how this will play out:

Perry - 35% of vote
Friedman - 29% of vote
Bell - 25% of vote
Strayhorn - 11% of vote.

Texas Politics - gotta love it!

Causes

My wife told me about an interesting article she had read in the New York Times the other day. And it happens to be linked on Mike Cope's blog from a couple of days ago. Here is the link to the article.

"NY Times Article""

Basically the article is about a preacher who would not use the pulpit/church as a platform for political causes. In some cases this angered some church goers in others it let them feel a bit more free.

I think it is very dangerous to have the church be linked to any one cause other than serving others and saving the lost and trying to expand the boundaries of God's kingdom. This is not to say that causes in and of themselves are bad, such as trying to keep marriage between a man and woman or pro-life causes. But what is bad is expecting everyone because you go to church with them to have the same stance on your cause and then if they don't not be able to reconcile the fact that they are still your brother in Christ.

I remember going to a church in abilene one sunday where a member there was running for some political office. He basically got to do a little campaign speech at the end of service and then as we were going to our car after service we were thrust a campaign leaflet by some church member and then had others on our car windshield. I wondered that day, what if I didn't want to vote for this guy because I didn't agree with the policies that he had or just liked the way things were currently being done - does that mean I am not a Christian? The way it was handled it certainly left that impression.

I have also always wondered how people in the historically black churches in America deal with being isolated behind causes. It was church leaders who spurred civil rights movements and historically have supported democratic candidates in elections to promote this cause. But somehow the moral majority claims republicans as the party which must be supported and that democrats are the harbingers of alternative lifestyles and general social undoing. So, what is an african-american christian to do if they associate their church with a cause? Which cause to pick, civil rights, social consciousness? The reality is they probably wish they could chose both - and so do I, but I don't have that choice.

Sometimes I feel very isolated, because there is no political party I will wholeheartedly back. I would like to start a normal human party at least my definition of normal humans - I think there might be some others like me out there, but maybe it would be just a political party of one. No problem for me, I am pretty comfortable inside my own skin.

But to circle back to the original point, do we consider someone who doesn't agree with our political positions somewhat less christian? If we do, I think we have let our earthly causes infiltrate the church and this is just what the devil would like to see happen. But please don't get me wrong - there are some things that aren't a cause and are not up for debate with me: the deity of Christ, the fact that there is one true God, the ruler of the earth and that he sent his one and only son to die for the remission of our sins. This isn't a cause - it is a calling. But outside of that and maybe a few other things if you push the right buttons I am willing to hear your side on many things as long as you are willing to hear mine.

At least that is my fine opinion on this matter.

So just to fill this post with the most irony I can...be sure to vote for Texas independence on Nov 7 - He ain't Kinky, he's my governor! Or I guess you can vote for the other guy, what's his name. Either way - I still love you all - my fine republican or democrat or normal human party friends! Cigars and bio-diesel for all!