Recently read an article about how a scientist specializing in the study of polar bears had been disinvited from some scientific conference in Copenhagen because his findings don't jibe with the conventional "so-called" wisom with regard to global warming. But doesn't the very fact that these attendees are scientists preclude them from excluding someone based on "idealogy". Isn't the very nature of science supposed to be inquisition and openness to ideas and theory, and the use of empirical data and objective observation to support these ideas and theories? And isn't there either a certain arrogance or incompetence displayed by scientists who openly dismiss a colleague who subscribes to an equally valid and equally compelling theory... especially a colleague who specializes in the very subject matter which is at issue? Where do these people get off? So this guy doesn't subscribe to man-made global warming as a catastrophic threat to life as we know it. He's not just some nut that was trawled off the street in some random city somewhere... he's been in the field for 30 years collecting data and observing these animals and their environment firsthand.
Do I need to point out that barely more than 500 years ago, conventional wisdom still held that the world was flat? Or that before Copernicus in the 1500's, it was considered a fact that the Earth was the center of the universe? How about the "fact" that lobotomies were a cure for countless mental afflictions, practiced with regularity in some countries right up into the 1980's? The point is that science and consensus facts are constantly evolving and changing as instruments and methodologies improve and new observations are made. And while a consensus is not in and of itself a bad thing when the data points in a particular direction, a failure to be open to contrarian viewpoints and contradictory data cheapens the process and casts doubt on the conclusions of the scientists drawing them up. It is the duty of any research scientist with a theory to go where the science and the data takes him or her, and not where their personal wonts and proclivities would lead.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Relay 2009 -A Huge Success
I sit here typing this Sunday morning a little soar, a little tired, but very enthused. This past Friday was Relay For Life, as many of you know already, and it was a blast! Here is a synopsis, told entirely from my perspective:
Friday Morning, 6:00 AM- I awoke and groggily shuffled into the shower. Got dressed, said good-bye to Laur and Erin (who were both still asleep), and headed to my store by 6:30. The sky was ugly, but I was still mostly optimistic about the day, for the weather report was predicting no rain, just cloudy skies all day. Once at my store, loaded up the chairs, some of the tables, some tools, & signage, and headed to West Orange High School. Parked the truck near the track, opened the door, and promptly stepped out into a puddle that was at least 8" deep. Cursing under my breath, I shook the excess water off my leg, and thought to myself, "OK, not a big deal. We have hours before Relay starts, and I can change my socks." Certainly not a good start to the day, though.
After unloading the truck, I returned to my store for more tables and a pallet of sand. This required two vehicles, so Nelson followed me back to West Orange, and helped Buddy (the school's Groundskeeper) and me unload. Buddy and I then used his tractor to deposit bags of sand every 25' or so around the track. It was at this time, I believe, that the Relay Committee members began arriving with supplies from the ACS office. Wasting no time, Everyone just dove into assorted projects. This is when God tested my resolve, if you care to look at it that way. Or you could just view it as the moment where my inherent clumsiness reared its ugly, inopportune head. As I ran down the path back to the Santa Fe to remove the last table, I thought I heard someone call my name from up at the field, and quickly turned around. In doing so, I stepped off the edge of the pavement, rolled my ankle, and went down like a ton of bricks. As I hurriedly stood back up and gingerly tested my ankle by putting weight on it, I was thinking, "Relay is cursed this year! At this rate, it is definitely going to rain today." I limped the rest of the way to the Santa Fe, retrieved the final table, and headed back up the hill favoring my now sore right ankle, my soggy left sneaker still squishing with every step.
We spent the better part of the next 6 hours or so setting up the field for the event. The skies were foreboding all day long, looking like they were fixing to open up and dump a deluge on us at any minute, but not a drop fell. Volunteers poured in all day long, many from a local church, to assist with the setup. Banners and signs were hung, lights were strung, tents were set up, tables and chairs were distributed. Team G Eagan was there setting up their hot dog stand. At some point, we broke for a well-earned lunch of delicious pizza, but otherwise, setup progressed without further incident (at least that I am aware of), except for a wasp sting of one of our volunteers. Thanks to all of our awesome volunteers, we were set early, and I think most of us took the opportunity to relax a little before things got really rocking. I went to the car, changed my socks (leaving my damp sneaker in the sun on the blacktop in the hopes it would dry out), and read the paper for a few minutes. But before long, it was time to head back up to the field.
We had a great turn-out this year. Over 900 registered participants, and there are always countless unregistered people who stop by to check it out. For example, I personally had 5 unregistered visitors (Laur's parents, PK, Prad, and Prad's son Rishi) this year who all seemed very impressed and are potential participants next year. Registration was hopping and money was pouring in. Teams were really in the spirit this year (don't get me wrong, teams are always spirited, but this year seemed even more so)... it seemed like there were more custom team t-shirts this year than in prior years. Tent City field filled up early and fast (all the prime locations were taken by probably 4:30 PM). By the time Laureen and I had an opportunity to set up our tents, the only options left on the field were in the soggy, boggy parts of the field, or jammed in between several of the larger tents. We opted for the crowded but semi-dry part of the field. With the help of Laur's parents, we quickly pitched our tent and moved our belongings inside.
Back up at the track, we encountered a few technical difficulties with our microphone during the opening ceremony, and one of the young members of the honor guard passed out and required some medical attention, but a student from Columbia High School performed a beautiful version of the Star Spangled Banner, and the Survivor lap got Relay off to a rousing start with approximately 800 people crowding the inside of the track cheering on the Cancer Survivors who made their way around. Then, the Survivors were joined on the track by their loved ones for the Caregiver lap, to the accompaniement of more cheers. As they completed the Caregiver Lap, the DJ announced that everyone should join in and the track was flooded with Relayers!
Over the next several hours, teams Relayed around the track. There were clowns for the children, a martial arts demonstration, a performance by a children's dance troupe, free massages provided by a local chiropractor's office, a bake sale (where Laur's famous cookie bars flew out), Rita's Water Ice and some fancy, gourmet ice cream, and several raffle-type drawings. There were themed laps (like funny hat lap and a criss-cross lap where men dressed as women and women dressed as men).
Then, just after dark, things took on a more serious, somber note as we performed the Luminaria ceremony, with speeches/remembrances by Jennifer Eagan Black and Alyssa Douglas's sister. 1600 Luminaria bags lined the track and filled the stands on both sides, each one lit, and each one with a person's name. Light sticks were distributed to the crowd, and we were informed not to light them until instructed to do so. "If you are here for Mother or Father, please light up your light stick and hold it up," they said. Then, it was a grandparent, followed by a sibling, a relative, a friend, or a neighbor. Pretty soon, everyone was holding up a lit light stick. At this point, a solitary bagpiper began to lead us around the track for a silent, reflective, even pensive lap, all while the names of all the people represented on the luminaria bags were projected on the large screen hanging on the side of the track. It was a wonderful oportunity to reflect on the people we have lost to this deadly disease, and the people who are still here, who are fighting or have already fought their battle with cancer.
Just before midnight, we held our Fight Back ceremony. After several more powerful speakers, people were encouraged to come to the microphone and announce to all present their pledge as to how they would fight back against cancer in their own lives over the next year. Then we walked a defiant, Fight Back lap in solidarity and support of each other's pledges.
As the night wore on, more and more people headed down to tent city to try and catch a few hours of sleep, leaving teammates to circle the track in shifts. I was impressed, though, at the number of people who continued walking all night. I would say that there was never fewer than 50 people on the track at any given time... even in the darkest recesses of the night. Laur managed to get a little bit of broken sleep in our tent from about 2 AM until maybe 6 AM. I myself never slept, though I did spend the better part of an hour and a half sitting in a chair at Registration, talking to whichever fellow committee members or volunteers happened to be around. I believe it was around 4 AM when Deirdre revealed to us that with $4.00 more, we would clear $200,000 for the event. Steve from Team G Eagan (those guys are beyond awesome!!) happened to be walking by, overheard Deirdre's statement, and promptly whipped out his wallet, handing her $6.00. If it hadn't been 4 AM, I suspect we would have been whooping and hollering with joy. As it was, we could barely contain ourselves. But we promised to keep the total secret so it could be announced at the closing ceremony.
We began clean-up shortly after 4 AM, and were done and ready for closing ceremonies by around 6 AM. We provided a Continental-style breakfast of Entenmann's and donated bagels with coffee at Registration, and then we held the closing ceremonies. When Deirdre, Carol, and Lynn announced the total by holding up the huge banner, the place went crazy with cheers and applause, and there were definitely some tears of joy shed! Then we took our final, victory lap, and people began saying their good-byes as we started striking tents and taking down signs, banners, and balloons.
Overall, it was a huge success, and I thank you all sincerely for your support! I look forward to next year, and hope to see you all there.
Friday Morning, 6:00 AM- I awoke and groggily shuffled into the shower. Got dressed, said good-bye to Laur and Erin (who were both still asleep), and headed to my store by 6:30. The sky was ugly, but I was still mostly optimistic about the day, for the weather report was predicting no rain, just cloudy skies all day. Once at my store, loaded up the chairs, some of the tables, some tools, & signage, and headed to West Orange High School. Parked the truck near the track, opened the door, and promptly stepped out into a puddle that was at least 8" deep. Cursing under my breath, I shook the excess water off my leg, and thought to myself, "OK, not a big deal. We have hours before Relay starts, and I can change my socks." Certainly not a good start to the day, though.
After unloading the truck, I returned to my store for more tables and a pallet of sand. This required two vehicles, so Nelson followed me back to West Orange, and helped Buddy (the school's Groundskeeper) and me unload. Buddy and I then used his tractor to deposit bags of sand every 25' or so around the track. It was at this time, I believe, that the Relay Committee members began arriving with supplies from the ACS office. Wasting no time, Everyone just dove into assorted projects. This is when God tested my resolve, if you care to look at it that way. Or you could just view it as the moment where my inherent clumsiness reared its ugly, inopportune head. As I ran down the path back to the Santa Fe to remove the last table, I thought I heard someone call my name from up at the field, and quickly turned around. In doing so, I stepped off the edge of the pavement, rolled my ankle, and went down like a ton of bricks. As I hurriedly stood back up and gingerly tested my ankle by putting weight on it, I was thinking, "Relay is cursed this year! At this rate, it is definitely going to rain today." I limped the rest of the way to the Santa Fe, retrieved the final table, and headed back up the hill favoring my now sore right ankle, my soggy left sneaker still squishing with every step.
We spent the better part of the next 6 hours or so setting up the field for the event. The skies were foreboding all day long, looking like they were fixing to open up and dump a deluge on us at any minute, but not a drop fell. Volunteers poured in all day long, many from a local church, to assist with the setup. Banners and signs were hung, lights were strung, tents were set up, tables and chairs were distributed. Team G Eagan was there setting up their hot dog stand. At some point, we broke for a well-earned lunch of delicious pizza, but otherwise, setup progressed without further incident (at least that I am aware of), except for a wasp sting of one of our volunteers. Thanks to all of our awesome volunteers, we were set early, and I think most of us took the opportunity to relax a little before things got really rocking. I went to the car, changed my socks (leaving my damp sneaker in the sun on the blacktop in the hopes it would dry out), and read the paper for a few minutes. But before long, it was time to head back up to the field.
We had a great turn-out this year. Over 900 registered participants, and there are always countless unregistered people who stop by to check it out. For example, I personally had 5 unregistered visitors (Laur's parents, PK, Prad, and Prad's son Rishi) this year who all seemed very impressed and are potential participants next year. Registration was hopping and money was pouring in. Teams were really in the spirit this year (don't get me wrong, teams are always spirited, but this year seemed even more so)... it seemed like there were more custom team t-shirts this year than in prior years. Tent City field filled up early and fast (all the prime locations were taken by probably 4:30 PM). By the time Laureen and I had an opportunity to set up our tents, the only options left on the field were in the soggy, boggy parts of the field, or jammed in between several of the larger tents. We opted for the crowded but semi-dry part of the field. With the help of Laur's parents, we quickly pitched our tent and moved our belongings inside.
Back up at the track, we encountered a few technical difficulties with our microphone during the opening ceremony, and one of the young members of the honor guard passed out and required some medical attention, but a student from Columbia High School performed a beautiful version of the Star Spangled Banner, and the Survivor lap got Relay off to a rousing start with approximately 800 people crowding the inside of the track cheering on the Cancer Survivors who made their way around. Then, the Survivors were joined on the track by their loved ones for the Caregiver lap, to the accompaniement of more cheers. As they completed the Caregiver Lap, the DJ announced that everyone should join in and the track was flooded with Relayers!
Over the next several hours, teams Relayed around the track. There were clowns for the children, a martial arts demonstration, a performance by a children's dance troupe, free massages provided by a local chiropractor's office, a bake sale (where Laur's famous cookie bars flew out), Rita's Water Ice and some fancy, gourmet ice cream, and several raffle-type drawings. There were themed laps (like funny hat lap and a criss-cross lap where men dressed as women and women dressed as men).
Then, just after dark, things took on a more serious, somber note as we performed the Luminaria ceremony, with speeches/remembrances by Jennifer Eagan Black and Alyssa Douglas's sister. 1600 Luminaria bags lined the track and filled the stands on both sides, each one lit, and each one with a person's name. Light sticks were distributed to the crowd, and we were informed not to light them until instructed to do so. "If you are here for Mother or Father, please light up your light stick and hold it up," they said. Then, it was a grandparent, followed by a sibling, a relative, a friend, or a neighbor. Pretty soon, everyone was holding up a lit light stick. At this point, a solitary bagpiper began to lead us around the track for a silent, reflective, even pensive lap, all while the names of all the people represented on the luminaria bags were projected on the large screen hanging on the side of the track. It was a wonderful oportunity to reflect on the people we have lost to this deadly disease, and the people who are still here, who are fighting or have already fought their battle with cancer.
Just before midnight, we held our Fight Back ceremony. After several more powerful speakers, people were encouraged to come to the microphone and announce to all present their pledge as to how they would fight back against cancer in their own lives over the next year. Then we walked a defiant, Fight Back lap in solidarity and support of each other's pledges.
As the night wore on, more and more people headed down to tent city to try and catch a few hours of sleep, leaving teammates to circle the track in shifts. I was impressed, though, at the number of people who continued walking all night. I would say that there was never fewer than 50 people on the track at any given time... even in the darkest recesses of the night. Laur managed to get a little bit of broken sleep in our tent from about 2 AM until maybe 6 AM. I myself never slept, though I did spend the better part of an hour and a half sitting in a chair at Registration, talking to whichever fellow committee members or volunteers happened to be around. I believe it was around 4 AM when Deirdre revealed to us that with $4.00 more, we would clear $200,000 for the event. Steve from Team G Eagan (those guys are beyond awesome!!) happened to be walking by, overheard Deirdre's statement, and promptly whipped out his wallet, handing her $6.00. If it hadn't been 4 AM, I suspect we would have been whooping and hollering with joy. As it was, we could barely contain ourselves. But we promised to keep the total secret so it could be announced at the closing ceremony.
We began clean-up shortly after 4 AM, and were done and ready for closing ceremonies by around 6 AM. We provided a Continental-style breakfast of Entenmann's and donated bagels with coffee at Registration, and then we held the closing ceremonies. When Deirdre, Carol, and Lynn announced the total by holding up the huge banner, the place went crazy with cheers and applause, and there were definitely some tears of joy shed! Then we took our final, victory lap, and people began saying their good-byes as we started striking tents and taking down signs, banners, and balloons.
Overall, it was a huge success, and I thank you all sincerely for your support! I look forward to next year, and hope to see you all there.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Aftermath of Iran's sham "election"
| |
Violent Scenes as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is re-elected as President of Iran,Police Beat Protesters[bbc]مردم در ولی عصر بعد از اعلام نتایج انتخابات | |
| If you haven't seen this, you should check it out. There is an abundance of similar videos available on www.youtube.com. Pray for freedom for the Iranian people... I think the whole world will be better off with one less insane dictator at the wheel, and one more free, burgeoning democracy. | |
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Gran Torino
I'm off from work today, so you know that means it's pouring rain outside. With the weather being lousy (yet again), Erin and I were forced to find ways to entertain ourselves indoors. We painted a little in her paint with water book, she exhibited to me her budding collection of her own artwork, and we played "This little piggy" until neither one of us could stand it anymore. Then, when Miss Spider came on the television, I escaped to my room and ordered up the Clint Eastwood movie "Gran Torino" on demand.
If you have not yet seen Gran Torino, I highly reccommend it. It is an exceptional work of art, one of the best live-action films I've had the pleasure to see in the past 10 years. It deals with a lonely, broken man in the twilight of his life who is tired of witnessing firsthand the degradation of the community he toiled in and loved all his life, and begins to do something about it. It is a movie about responsibility, faith, repentance, selflessness, prejudice, community, and salvation. It doesn't hurt that his car, from which the movie derives its title, is a gorgeous, shining example of American muscle, hailing from the days before gas crises and government regulation neutered domestic automobiles. It is Eastwood's best movie since "Unforgiven". It is definitely one that we will look to add to our collection of DVD's.
Monday, June 8, 2009
If Erin Ruled the World
This is a true story:
Erin and I were out running errands together this morning while Laur was at work. Laur had the Tercel, so we were riding around in the Santa Fe, which strangely enough, is where all of our weirdest conversations seem to take place.
"Dadoo, have you ever seen a purple house?" she asked me.
"Well, they're certainly not common, but I believe I've seen one... yes, I have. How about yellow, Erin? Have you ever seen a yellow house?"
"No, Dadoo. There are no yellow houses."
"Are you sure?" I asked, a little amused.
"Yes Dadoo. There are only red houses and green houses."
"What are you talking about... there are other colors besides red and green. You've seen brown houses, haven't you Erin?"
"No Dadoo. There are no brown houses."
"Well, what about white houses?"
"Nope. There are no white houses either."
"Ummm... Erin, Long Grandma & Grandpa and Short Grandma & Grandpa live in white houses, don't they?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot." A short pause while Erin collects her thoughts. "But Dadoo, white houses aren't very pretty. There shouldn't be any white houses. Long Grandma & Long Grandpa and Short Grandma & Short Grandpa should paint their houses so they are not white anymore. They should paint them a color. Then they will be pretty."
"What color should they paint them, then, Erin?"
"Red. Red houses are pretty, Dadoo. They need to paint their houses red. If their houses were red, then they would be pretty."
Goodness gracious. Be thankful this kid isn't in charge.
Erin and I were out running errands together this morning while Laur was at work. Laur had the Tercel, so we were riding around in the Santa Fe, which strangely enough, is where all of our weirdest conversations seem to take place.
"Dadoo, have you ever seen a purple house?" she asked me.
"Well, they're certainly not common, but I believe I've seen one... yes, I have. How about yellow, Erin? Have you ever seen a yellow house?"
"No, Dadoo. There are no yellow houses."
"Are you sure?" I asked, a little amused.
"Yes Dadoo. There are only red houses and green houses."
"What are you talking about... there are other colors besides red and green. You've seen brown houses, haven't you Erin?"
"No Dadoo. There are no brown houses."
"Well, what about white houses?"
"Nope. There are no white houses either."
"Ummm... Erin, Long Grandma & Grandpa and Short Grandma & Grandpa live in white houses, don't they?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot." A short pause while Erin collects her thoughts. "But Dadoo, white houses aren't very pretty. There shouldn't be any white houses. Long Grandma & Long Grandpa and Short Grandma & Short Grandpa should paint their houses so they are not white anymore. They should paint them a color. Then they will be pretty."
"What color should they paint them, then, Erin?"
"Red. Red houses are pretty, Dadoo. They need to paint their houses red. If their houses were red, then they would be pretty."
Goodness gracious. Be thankful this kid isn't in charge.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
This video was shot at Lurker park. This is Erin's first (mostly) unassisted ride on a bicycle where she is successfully doing the pedaling herself. Shortly after this video, she rode down a short embankment and spilled over on to the ground, landing mostly on her head (thank God for bicycle helmets) and scraping up her knee in the process. She told me she didn't want to ever ride her bike again. As I cleaned her up back at the Santa Fe (using the Hyundai First Aid kit that came with the car), she revised her statement, saying that she didn't want to ride her bike again until her knee healed. I have to say, I was mighty impressed with how brave she was as I cleaned the wound with an alcohol swab (she wimpered a little and squeezed my finger, but didn't really cry)... much braver than her Dadoo would have been under similar circumstances as a child. Ten minutes later, she was back on the bike, pedaling down the path. In the car, on the ride home, she recounted the story of when she fell, but it was now humorous to her, and she was laughing about how dirty her bike and bike helmet got in the fall. Now, she can't wait to go ride again. She apparantly already understands the concept of getting right back up on that horse (or in this case, bicycle). I admire my (almost) 4 year old for her resilience and determination. But, boy, the adage about them growing up fast is more true than I ever could have understood prior to having a child.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Check Mate Wake-up Call
I woke up this morning to Erin stomping around in the living room and chanting:
"Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate."
I guess chess really made an impression on her.
"Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate
Check Mate."
I guess chess really made an impression on her.
Checkmate
Tonight, Laureen and her Mom went to the mall to do some shopping. Brian was on his way to A.C., so Erin and I had the house to ourselves for a few hours. Almost as soon as we were alone, Erin said to me, "Dadoo, I want to play a game."
"What would you like to play?"
"I want to play something new."
"Something new, eh? Well, you've played all of the games that we have," I said to her, when suddenly I remembered a box I had put on a shelf in the garage while organizing out there. "Wait a minute, I think I know where there might be a game or two that you've never played."
Erin squealed with anticipatory delight.
"Oooh! Where Dadoo!? Where where where where where WHERE!?!?!?!?"
I smiled at her enthusiastic reaction.
"Follow me."
"But Dadoo, why are we going downstairs? There aren't any games in the basement, are there?"
"No, Sweetie. But we are not headed to the basement," I said as I opened the back door.
Erin sighed. A long, impatient, slightly exasperated sigh. As I turned to look at her, I caught a glimpse of the tail end of an eye roll.
"Dadoo, there are no games in the yard EITHER!"
I smiled again. "Patience, Erin. We're not going to the yard either."
"Ooooohhhh! Where are we going then?"
"To the garage."
I glanced back at Erin. She stopped dead in her tracks, a look of total disbelief on her face. She glared at me for a second with a look that can only be described as "The Christine".
Erin delivered this next part very slowly and deliberately, as if she were talking to a complete imbecile.
"Dadoo... Don't... you... know... that... there... aren't... any... games... in... the... garage... either?"
"Just come with me, Silly."
Erin paused, as if considering her next move. Then, as if a switch had been flipped in her brain, she smiled and cheerily said, "O.K."
We walked the half dozen paces or so to the garage, and opened the door. I flicked on the light and we made our way to the shelves in the back corner. I stood there for a minute trying to remember which box contained the object of our search.
"See Dadoo... I told you there weren't any games in the garage either."
But at that moment, I remembered which box contained what we had come for. Pulling it down from the shelf and setting it on the floor, I opened the flaps, sneezing twice as the dust hit me in the face.
"Ahhhh. Here it is," I said to Erin.
Erin huddled in close to get a better look. Inside the box was the round, golden tin that contained our Disney Trivia Game. Just below that was a square tin that contained Laur's Simpson's Chess Game. They had been packed up when we left Mount Laurel and hadn't seen the light of day since. Upon seeing them, Erin's face lit up like a halogen bulb.
"Oh BOY!! OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!! Dadoo Dadoo Dadoo I want to play can we play I want to play them right now!!" She was literally jumping up and down and clapping.
"Come on inside and we'll play."
We played the trivia game first... and Erin had fun, but because so many of the questions are from films Erin has not yet seen, it was a real challenge for me to keep that one interesting for her. After quickly bringing that game to an end, I set up the chess board. I figured chess would be way above her head (and obviously, the strategic aspects of it were), but Erin was totally fascinated by the different rules that governed how each piece could move & where they started on the board, and by the fact that, unlike checkers, you did not have to jump over an opponent to claim their piece. The first time she put my king in check, she tentatively whispered "Check". When I told her to say it with conviction, she asked me, "Dadoo, what's cuvikchun?" I said, "Say it loudly and confidently, with feeling." Erin said, "I don't think I want to say it loud." So I said, "OK, soft is good too." Of course, each successive time she put me in check, she did say it a little louder, until she got to the point where every time she put me in check (or even claimed one of my pieces) she did a little dance and sang,
"I'm going to win
I'm going to win
I'm so good at chess
so I'm going to win!"
We played twice, with Erin winning both games (thanks to me coaching her to check mates both times). She has already told me she can't wait to play again, and was so excited about it that she told Laureen about it when she got home from shopping. She told Laur that she won twice. When I said "Tell Mommy what you say when you win," Erin smiled a shy smile and whispered, "Check Mate."
"What would you like to play?"
"I want to play something new."
"Something new, eh? Well, you've played all of the games that we have," I said to her, when suddenly I remembered a box I had put on a shelf in the garage while organizing out there. "Wait a minute, I think I know where there might be a game or two that you've never played."
Erin squealed with anticipatory delight.
"Oooh! Where Dadoo!? Where where where where where WHERE!?!?!?!?"
I smiled at her enthusiastic reaction.
"Follow me."
"But Dadoo, why are we going downstairs? There aren't any games in the basement, are there?"
"No, Sweetie. But we are not headed to the basement," I said as I opened the back door.
Erin sighed. A long, impatient, slightly exasperated sigh. As I turned to look at her, I caught a glimpse of the tail end of an eye roll.
"Dadoo, there are no games in the yard EITHER!"
I smiled again. "Patience, Erin. We're not going to the yard either."
"Ooooohhhh! Where are we going then?"
"To the garage."
I glanced back at Erin. She stopped dead in her tracks, a look of total disbelief on her face. She glared at me for a second with a look that can only be described as "The Christine".
Erin delivered this next part very slowly and deliberately, as if she were talking to a complete imbecile.
"Dadoo... Don't... you... know... that... there... aren't... any... games... in... the... garage... either?"
"Just come with me, Silly."
Erin paused, as if considering her next move. Then, as if a switch had been flipped in her brain, she smiled and cheerily said, "O.K."
We walked the half dozen paces or so to the garage, and opened the door. I flicked on the light and we made our way to the shelves in the back corner. I stood there for a minute trying to remember which box contained the object of our search.
"See Dadoo... I told you there weren't any games in the garage either."
But at that moment, I remembered which box contained what we had come for. Pulling it down from the shelf and setting it on the floor, I opened the flaps, sneezing twice as the dust hit me in the face.
"Ahhhh. Here it is," I said to Erin.
Erin huddled in close to get a better look. Inside the box was the round, golden tin that contained our Disney Trivia Game. Just below that was a square tin that contained Laur's Simpson's Chess Game. They had been packed up when we left Mount Laurel and hadn't seen the light of day since. Upon seeing them, Erin's face lit up like a halogen bulb.
"Oh BOY!! OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!! Dadoo Dadoo Dadoo I want to play can we play I want to play them right now!!" She was literally jumping up and down and clapping.
"Come on inside and we'll play."
We played the trivia game first... and Erin had fun, but because so many of the questions are from films Erin has not yet seen, it was a real challenge for me to keep that one interesting for her. After quickly bringing that game to an end, I set up the chess board. I figured chess would be way above her head (and obviously, the strategic aspects of it were), but Erin was totally fascinated by the different rules that governed how each piece could move & where they started on the board, and by the fact that, unlike checkers, you did not have to jump over an opponent to claim their piece. The first time she put my king in check, she tentatively whispered "Check". When I told her to say it with conviction, she asked me, "Dadoo, what's cuvikchun?" I said, "Say it loudly and confidently, with feeling." Erin said, "I don't think I want to say it loud." So I said, "OK, soft is good too." Of course, each successive time she put me in check, she did say it a little louder, until she got to the point where every time she put me in check (or even claimed one of my pieces) she did a little dance and sang,
"I'm going to win
I'm going to win
I'm so good at chess
so I'm going to win!"
We played twice, with Erin winning both games (thanks to me coaching her to check mates both times). She has already told me she can't wait to play again, and was so excited about it that she told Laureen about it when she got home from shopping. She told Laur that she won twice. When I said "Tell Mommy what you say when you win," Erin smiled a shy smile and whispered, "Check Mate."
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