She's off the charts!

Celebrating at her favorite restaurant, Salty Iguana!

EAT! EAT!

This kid can't get enough food. He's constantly eating. It doesn't matter what time. It doesn't matter if he just ate. He WANTS MORE FOOD!!!

I think the little booger is pulling off two dinners every night, one at LeeLa's, one at our house.

OK, I kind of admire him working the system...

Young comic reader

A couple notes about Evey and comic books;

I took Evey to KC Planet Comicon a few weekends ago. She had a blast! She Dressed up as Spider-Girl for the convention, and also met the legendary comic artist Neal Adams. She bought a few 33 cent Superman comics, the Fantastic Four DVD, and a Scooby Doo comic. (I got Mr. Adams to sign my Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali comic!)

On the drive home, I got this shot over my shoulder. She was flipping through the comics, checking out the art, making Dad proud. That's my girl!

Another story: yesterday afternoon Evey spotted an old 1960s Aquaman comic in my spinner rack. Great funky cover by Jim Aparo. She tries to get it out, but it's too high for her to reach.

I'm at work, at my computer downstairs, so she creeps over next to me. "Dad, can I look at that comic?" She politely asks me.

I couldn't help but smile. Sure thing Evey! She sat on the couch downstairs and carefully looked over each page. So cute!

Augusta National with MJ

Me and my brother-in-law Mark had an AWESOME time today at Augusta National. It was his first time at the Masters (my sixth, I think) and it made for so much fun to see how excited he was to be there.

These will be some memories that last a lifetime, I guarantee you!

I'm here on business, Mark is here for fun. But he has helped me out so much, it's phenomenal. He's made the trip so much easier just by being a good wing-man.

After the day at Augusta, I took him with me to the Golf Writers Association dinner. It was good to walk in with a comrade and just to have someone to hang with... it's difficult going to something like that by yourself.

One of Mark's best lines was right before Rory McIlroy took the stage to accept his 2012 male player of the year award. Mark turns to me, eyes wide, and says, "I didn't know Rory was actually going to BE HERE!" Then he paused and said to me, "You are the man."

Ha! Sometimes, yes. MJ, you are also the man!

Evey's fall from the monkey bars

(100% copies from an email just sent to my co-workers)

What a weird afternoon!

Evey was pretty upset when I got to school. I've never seen her that bothered by an injury before… like she was scared. I decided to take her on in to the doctor.

It took FOREVER to see the doctor. I explained to the front desk that Evey was in a lot of pain, etc., but this didn't get her any special treatment. (Sadly, her normal doctor/nurses have the day off on Wednesday, so we were without any friends this day!) I finally asked if I should just take her to the emergency room, and they finally took her back!

Another room, another wait. Finally the doctor came and saw her. By now, I was pretty sure it was nothing (Evey wasn't crying as much), and I was ready to leave. The doctor looks at it, and in the most monotone voice ever says, "That looks broken." I'm like, "Are you kidding me?" So he has her go back for X-rays.

End of the story: no clear break from the X-ray, but he's worried that she did some damage to some calcium plate in her elbow… so he has her in a sling now, and no physical activity for 7 to 10 days. Then we go for another X-ray to see how it's doing.

What a day! Poor Evey! She has now sworn off the monkey bars, forever.

-Seth

Deep-sea fishing

In the Gulf of Mexico.

That's a Red Grouper, one of five I caught that day.

Good times!

***

Bubba is doing well. He's starting to say more, especially the word "No!"

His "please" sounds like "pees!" and his "Evey!" sounds like "Evey!" So cute.

He is really into books now. There's one book we've been reading him a lot -- Evey has it memorized already -- where the little boy gets tickled at the end of the book. Boydee sees it coming every time, and is already giggling in anticipation of the tickle attack he's about to get when that page comes up.

It's fun for everyone involved, I must say.

It's cool that he's already digging on books. Both our kids like books, hopefully that keeps up.

***

Evey told me last night, as she was trying to go to bed, that she loved me and she loved Bubba (mom was at the gym,) She then decided to spell out the order for me.

"Dad, I love Bubba the most, then mom, then you. Unless Bubba has scratched me, then I love mom the most, then you, then Bubba."

Wow, thanks, Evey.

Whatever.

***

Looks like, if everything goes well, I'll be pulling the trigger on tickets for Lollapalooza tomorrow. We're just doing Friday and Sunday, since Saturday is kind of weak, line-up wise. We've decided to hit a Cubs game on Saturday (they're playing the Dodgers.)

So, again, you've been forewarned. Come join me. Don't be mad when I'm telling you how awesome Queens of the Stone Age were, when you could have just been there with me!

Special thanks to Adro for letting me travel the world (literally) this year. I'll have to do a little extra around the house to make up for a weekend away rocking out at a music festival with friends, but overall she's cool with it.

That's a cool chick I married, man, I'm telling you. It's OK to be jealous.

***

Been fighting a little cold. I think it hits whenever the weather goes from crappy to nice. Hopefully that's the case. I'm ready for good weather.

***

The Radiohead album just ended, so that means it's time to go to bed.

Kung Fu continues to go well

Only three kids in class today... Lots of 1-on-1 attention!

Evey, egg hunter

 

Hope you had a nice Easter. I know we did. 

My mom came up to visit, and we all went up to Shawnee to hit the buffet at my sister's country club. They had an Easter egg hunt, as well as live rabbits to pet, and a bunny mascot to get photographed with. We missed the bunny mascot, though.

Cute story from this Easter: Last night, Adianne tells me she's worried because she didn't go all-out on the kids' Easter baskets this year. Doesn't know if she'll have enough loot to make it look good for Evey.

In previous years, Adro has really gotten into Easter. I can remember some Easters where there's a giant basket, wrapped in yellow cellophane, waiting for Evey when she wakes up.

This year wouldn't be as good, Adro said, because she hadn't picked up as much stuff lately. Late last night she scrambled to see what she could cobble together. It turned into two pretty decent gift baskets for the kids. There was no way Evey would sense that the Easter bunny has been hit by the down economy, I thought to myself.

So Adrianne tells me to remind her to set them out before Evey wakes up.

The last two years we set the baskets down by the front door. Santa uses the chimney, the Easter bunny uses the front door, I guess.

At about 6:45 this morning Adro woke me up and asked me to get the baskets set out ASAP. "Where do you want me to put them?" I asked her, groggy from a restless night with a slightly-sick Boyd Atticus. "Put them on the back deck," Adro instructed. So I headed to the back deck, real stealthy, so as not to wake up Evey. I successfully got them on the back deck without being noticed. Shut the curtains. Back to bed.

I hear Mom and Evey up a little later. All of a sudden, some excitement. Evey comes running back to the bedroom and wakes me up.

"DAD! The Easter bunny... left my gift basket on the BACK PORCH THIS YEAR!!!"

Which was cute enough right there. But then, after we brought them in, and the dust settled, it got even cuter, as Evey recounted the way the morning played out.

Evey woke up and checked the area inside the front door. She was disappointed to see nothing there. She told Noni (my mom) about this. My mom, not knowing the plan entirely, suggested Evey check the back door, in case the Easter bunny couldn't get in the front door.

She opened the curtains, and BOOM! Her mind was blown. From off the Easter bunny's list, to back on the VIP list.

That little change in the Easter bunny's routine somehow made the Easter bunny all the more real. Not only is this magical rabbit real, I guess, but he's also a problem solver. Front door locked? Leave it on the back deck. It was about as good as seeing one red-clad leg and black boot zip up the chimney on Dec. 24th. This rabbit is LEGIT.

Evey announced after opening her gifts (nothing substantial, just some colors, a chalk holder, tights and a shirt or two) that Easter was her new favorite holiday. Sorry, Christmas!

Hmm... maybe we should have Santa change up his method this year. 

"Evey, Santa got really busy this year, so it says here that he just decided to leave a gift card. ...Merry Christmas!"

 

Happy Easter!

Boydee getting after some Easter eggs!

Let me in, sucka!

Boydee and Judy went for a walk the other day. When they got back, he about pounded the door down to get back in.

Son, you live here, just come in!

Well, Evey is 6 and she still does the same thing...

From my work blog...

(Taken from a post today at www.golfdom.blogspot.com)

Well, this isn't something that happens everyday...

AP golf writer Doug Ferguson mentions Golfdom in today's story on Arnold Palmer. Here's the excerpt:

Palmer is one of those guys. Always has been. And that's why so many people want to meet the King.
 
A staff member came into the room and mentioned two men who were outside the office and wanted to say hello. One was Seth Jones, the editor of Golfdom magazine who recently interviewed Palmer for a project he was working on.

"Well, bring him in," Palmer said, rising from behind his desk with a broadening smile. Dressed in slacks and a pink shirt, Palmer made sure the two men met everyone in the room and made small talk for a few minutes before closing with that powerful handshake and a smile. "Nice to see you guys," he told them.

This story has been picked up all over the country. Here are a few examples:

http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/03/19/3294969/its-good-to-be-the-king.html
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/golf/arnold-palmer-a-golf-course-hospital-and-dinner-with-kate-upton-199020891.html
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/sports/article/It-s-good-to-be-the-king-4367412.php
http://www.akronnewsnow.com/sports/golf/item/78896-it-s-good-to-be-the-king

Looks like I was in the right place at the right time.

I did see Doug later that same day (this was on Monday) and chatted with him about Palmer (I wanted to make sure I didn't hurt any feelings by breaking in on that meeting.) He laughed and told me that our timing was great, and that I would probably be mentioned in his story.

Turns out he wasn't kidding. Very cool! Always good to get the name Golfdom magazine in papers across the country.

Can't wait to see my kids!

Coming home tomorrow!

Bakin' cookies; dream of Grandpa Romero

The girls made cookies a few weekends ago. They were awesome! Buttery.

Evey likes to pretend that she's on a cooking show. She's in charge, and Adro is the helper.

Evey does well... she likes cracking eggs. Adro tells me this last time, Evelyn pretty much did the whole thing herself.

I'm looking forward to the day that Evey is added to the rotation of cooking dinner for the family.

***

Full disclosure: I'm seriously considering going to Lollapalooza this year. So, once they announce the line-up, if you like it... you know someone who will be there. Heck, you know someone who will buy a few rounds of Miller Lite tall boys!

So if you like the line-up, buy the tix! Don't get mad at me in October when you find out I went this year. I warned you all I was going back in March!

***

I had a dream about Adrianne's grandpa Ramon the other day. It went like this:

I'm at the house with the kids. Front door is open. There's a freak ice storm outside. I see Neuty drive by and get stuck in his truck right outside my house. He comes up to the front door to ask for me to help push him out. I tell him I can't; I'm by myself with the kids.

So Neuty comes inside the house. It's Saturday morning in my dream (maybe a Sunday morning, probably during football season). Me and Neuty decide to start drinking. We're drinking hard stuff (usually we drink beer.) 

Doorbell rings. It's Ramon. I'm shocked to see him (I don't realize he's passed away in my dream, but I know this is highly unusual at the same time.) I invite him in. He walks into my kitchen and looks around. I'm trying to chit-chat with him, but he's mostly ignoring me. So I shout at him. I decide he's mostly deaf, and that's why he can't hear me. I ask him if he'd like some breakfast, and he nods. So I start whipping up scrambled eggs, sausage, breakfast potatoes, etc., for Ramon and Neuty and the kids.

Ramon disappears. I look around for him, and find him, asleep on the couch, holding Boyd, who is also napping. And this gives me a feeling of happiness.

Strange that Ramon crept into a dream. Even stranger that Neuty crept into my dream (I can't stand that guy.) Don't know what sparked that. But cool to see him and Boydee together, even if it was just in my mind's eye.

Sunday night following a busy weekend

Wow, what a weekend! Let me give you a quick rundown...

Friday: Got home from a work trip. Took it easy, I put Boydee to sleep early, and fell asleep early myself.

Saturday: Judy came over early and me and Adro took off for the casino. My treat at the casino for Adro as a make-good* for last weekend. I lost $40 on video poker, then retreated to the upstairs bar, where I watched KSU/OSU. Drank a few Guinness. Luckily, Adro made a comeback and we got some money back that day.

Upon returning home, we made homemade pizza, and it was damn good.

The Jayhawks were awful, getting thumped by Baylor. Oh well, we still had a NINTH CONSECUTIVE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP. Yawn.

Sunday: Went to church with the fam. Following church, went to Bigg's for breakfast. It was pretty damn good, especially Evey's pancakes. (and I'm not a pancake fan, typically.)

Happy (belated) birthday Lerv!

Here's a great pic of Lervik and his girlfriend Brianne, taken around the holidays. Lerv asked me to shoot him one of these pics a while ago and I never did. Sorry man, you know how responsive I am to email these days...

Check out how Boydee is waving at the camera for this pic. Nice job, Bubba!

Tough day for the Jones family at school/work/work. Only Boydee seemed to get through the day unscathed. Typical work stress for me and Adro. Evey, however, told me she cried a little at school today. She started telling me about it when I picked her up, and I didn't totally get it, but told her we'd work toward making it a better day from that point forward. When Adro got home, Evey took her mom to Boydee's room so they could discuss it more. I'm glad Evey knows that she can lean on her mom for things that her dad is too dense to understand. They talked for a while, and I'm sure Evey felt better about it all afterwards.

I can't believe it's March...