Planet Comicon 2014

I'll tell our full comic convention story later, but for now, here is Jett getting Ande Parks' autograph at the convention on Sunday!

About time!

We had a good weekend last weekend... let's see...

• Friday night Adrianne and I watched "About Time," and I was surprised that I really, really enjoyed it. Funny, thought provoking, sweet, sentimental, touching... with a nice philosophical ending about life.  
• Saturday morning, we had our last ass kicking basketball game of the season (thank God that's over!)
• Saturday afternoon, Jess, Jett and Marina came over and watched the KU/WVa game with us.
• Saturday afternoon-noon, I went crazy and patched some holes in the walls around the house, much to the surprise of Mrs. Jones.
• Saturday night, Adrianne and I went to the St. Patrick's Day Parade charity auction, and had a good time.
• Sunday morning I hooped it up with the guys, and hit a handful of James Harden-like 3-point bombs.
• Had a beer with Ted after the hoops.
• Had a beer with Adro after that.
• Adro and Evey proved to me via a TV show that Mermaids are real.
• Went out with some friends in the industry and pounded way too many beers at Rick's on Sunday, leaving me in a semi-deceased state all day Monday.

So, as you can clearly see, it was a good weekend.

You and your cousins

Jess nabbed this pic during the KU game on Saturday... They're growing so fast!

Farewell Z; welcome to a new cousin

A lot has gone on since my last (non-) update on the blog (what the heck? Where did the rest of that last post go? Now it's gone forever, and I'll never remember what was awesome about that weekend...) I've been meaning to get a post out, but the magazine was due and I've just been kinda slammed in general. But now, it's a quiet Wednesday night. Time for some updates.

***

Most significant to the family is the addition of another (second-) cousin to the family in the birth of Sylvia Romero, daughter of Brent and Rosalina. She looks beautiful! Can't wait to meet her, and congrats to the growing Vignery-Romero family.

***

The Z has been sold. Long live the Z.

It's a somewhat interesting story if you want to hear it in person. The short of it: I re-posted it on Craigslist a week or so ago... Got some emails... had a father/son take it for a test drive on Saturday morning. Got home, saw another email from another interested party. He wanted to take it for a test drive ASAP, before the snow hit...

Head back to KC, meet this guy at the Bass Pro Shop in Olathe. He's a little younger than me, salt and pepper hair like me. Single guy, a car head. He asked if he could romp on the Z on an on-ramp, I told him to go for it. He romped it hard... and loved what the Z showed him. "I'm sorry, I know that probably killed you," he said afterwards. "Look, there's a reason people are interested in this car. It's not for the gas mileage."

Took it back to the Bass Pro and he asked me to hang for a bit, his mom and dad were on their way to take a look. They got there, the dad grilled me a little... and then took me aside and told me he was prepared to pay me close to what I wanted, but not the asking price... in cash. And not a dollar more than what he had with him.

I pondered it for a little bit and then took the offer. It was bittersweet.

Adrianne, Evey and Boyd met me at the Longhorn Steakhouse. I'm sitting there at the bar, crying in my beer, with $7,000 cash in my pocket. It was a strange moment.

I wanted to sell the Camaro, and I'm happy I did. It seems like it went to a good home, too... the guy texted me telling me how happy he was with the Z, that it was driving great, and that he had already waxed it and it was in his garage looking great.

But at the same time, my dad was with me when I bought that car. I felt like I lost a little connection to my old man when I parted ways with it...

I reminded myself over and over that right now, I'm driving my dad's old truck... that would make him happy. And it's a better car for my family.

I had 12 great years in the Z. Maybe I'll get back in one again in 20 years or so. An SS this time...

But probably not. I'm still hopeful to own a Corvette before I die.

***

Evey had a check-up recently. She's doing great.

Quick aside: Is it reasonable to wait an hour and 50 minutes to see your doctor? The appointment was scheduled for 4 p.m. The doctor finally entered the room at 5:50.

Bullshit, right?

Anyway. She was in the 95th percentile on height at 4'4". She also had 20/40 and 20/50 vision (or somesuch) and it's the doc's belief that she'll need glasses soon.

No surprise. Adrianne needed glasses by 3rd grade, I needed them by 6th grade.

Evey seems curious about the whole thing, but not bummed. We did have this exchange on the way to school this morning:

EJ: Dad, do you think I'll need glasses?
SJ: Probably, eventually, sweetie. Your mom and I both needed glasses...
EJ: OK...
SJ: Does that make you sad?
EJ: No, but... I kind of like my look right now.

***

More Evey randomness...

While playing around with Boyd the other day, Boydee asked Evey if he could play with the Kindle (he's currently serving a 5-day suspension from the Kindle, for being mean to his sister).

Evey told Boydee that he could play with the Kindle... so long as he PROMISED HER... that he would embarrass himself on his birthday for the rest of his life.

What the?!?

***

Evey and Boyd were getting ready to rumble the other day. Play-fight.

Boydee loves to "fight" Evey. They throw pillows, stuffed chairs, balls at each other. Sometimes Boydee just launches into fight mode. We've told him that he has to ask Evey if he wants to fight before he can start fighting her.

So now we often hear Boydee say, "Evey, want to fight?"

I was sitting in the living room when Evey accepted Boyd's challenge. She then began narrating, or maybe doing a play-by-play of the fight.

"Who will win?!?" she asked out loud, in a dramatic tone. "Evey? She's beautiful... but doesn't know it... or Boydee?"

Uhm, I think someone might know it... or at least think it...

I blame Disney Channel and especially the show "Jessie."

***

Brother-in-law got a big promotion at work. He's now a Vice President.

Very cool, M.J.! Keep doing good.

***

Hendo went to Vegas recently, so I gave him $60 to make two sports book bets for me:

Jayhawks to win it all (13/2) and Trailblazers to win it all (20/1).

I put $25 on the 'Hawks in 2008, when they won it all. I forget the payout, but it was a fun hit for sure.

The Trailblazers? I figure, what the heck. Take a longshot to make the playoffs a little more interesting. I'll be rooting for the Thunder, but... if the 'Blazers make it out of the first round? Guess who will be watching every one of their playoff games?

That entertainment is worth losing $30 any time.

(For the non-gamblers, if the 'Blazers found a way to win it, that $30 would become $600.)

((Why the Blazers? I saw them in Cleveland, and I was so impressed with the Damian Lillard/LaMarcus Aldridge combination. They're the # 1 offense in the league. AND there's a new commissioner for the first time in 30-some years... so this could potentially be the first year when the NBA Finals isn't fixed.))

***

Speaking of hoops, Evey's final basketball game... perhaps of her career... is this Saturday at 9 a.m. at Eudora Rec.

You're invited.

***

I got a new passport. The new passports are good for 10 years. The State Department sent me my old passport back, with some holes punched in it.

I think it'll be a fun keepsake.

***

Adrianne is taking me to see Morrissey in Lawrence. He's performing at Liberty Hall. That's cool.

"How Soon Is Now?" came on my Pandora channel while I was doing the dishes tonight. It should be a fun show, even though I'm not a huge fan.

It'll be the second time Adro and I have seen Mozz.

***

Rented World War Z the other day. Was fully prepared to be terrified out of my mind. (The book is brilliant, and scary as shit.)

Amazing what the studio's need to stick to a PG-13 rating can do to a movie.

This should have been the scariest movie I've seen in a loooong time (even scarier than Love Actually). But instead it was rather vanilla.

And the story wasn't scary enough on its own.

A mild thumb's down.

***

Saw Gravity at the theater with Copy J.

The movie was beautiful. The story was barely passable.

By the end of the movie, I was rooting for outer space.

That's not good.

***

We've got about 10 new couches in the house. But that's a post for another day (I've got a photo ready for that post.)

But needless to say... this next garage sale is going to be HUGE.
 

Weekend that was

Highlights of the weekend:

My new couch!

Here's a look at the first new couch. Boyd has since been punished for having that water bottle on the new couch...

The World's Most Interesting Men

Me, Tom Lervik Sr. and Brandon Bauer at the Lervik/Tinder wedding last weekend.

Happy President's Day!

Evey on Monday, posing with some friends.

Thanks to Neuty, who came over last night to help me move a couch and a recliner (Adro bought a new living room set because, yeah) and also helped me separate Evey's bunk beds, so now both Evey and Boyd have their own twin beds.

Which also means Boyd doesn't have a crib anymore... which was cool for one night...

And now it's occurred to him he can get out of bed as he likes. 

So night two, which is progressing badly right now as I type, is showing us that it may be a difficult transition for Boydee, Adro and I. 

Just now Adro was paying bills at her desk in our bedroom. Completely silent in the house (I've got NBA on TV, but at a low volume.) Out of nowhere: "Mom. I need a diaper change. I pooped."

Adro may have also pooped, because this scared the shit out of her. Me too, and I was 30 feet away.

***

I mentioned three weeks ago that I was hopeful Evey's tooth would fall out soon. It FINALLY fell out yesterday. It was ridiculous, it was flapping all over her mouth. But she refused to let me touch it.

That may have been a parent fail by me. 30 seconds of sheer terror could have saved her three weeks of babying that tooth.

***

I would trade Steve Blake too, if he played for my team.

How cool would it be to work in a place where you could trade personnel? 

"Sorry, Jerry... your numbers have been decent, but I'm going in a different direction and sending you to Milwaukee."

***

Boyd just woke up AGAIN. Came out of his room wide awake, and happy. This Superman photo was taken just now.

***

Took Evey to see Lego on Monday. It was awful. I fell asleep three different times. At one point I woke up and there were real people in the film. Evey said to me, "Dad, I have no idea what's going on!"

I said, "Me too!" and fell back asleep.

*** 

Already missed Pixies in Kansas City, and have managed not to buy tickets for QOTSA in May. One of my New Year's Resolutions of spending less money on concert tix is off to a good start!

***

Go to bed, son of Jor-El.

Why the hell did Cleveland trade for Luol Deng if they're going to put him back on the market a month later? Awful.

***

Syracuse, beaten by lowly Boston College tonight. That's cool.

***

Boyd told me a knock-knock joke tonight:

"Knock knock!"

"Who's there?"

"Evey!"

"Evey who?"

"Evey loves me!"

Lervik wedding!

Adrianne and I are back from an amazing weekend in Charlotte, N.C.

The entire trip was an adventure. Winter storm Pax was a big freakin' deal in that area. And also a big deal, the Hendrens, who we were lucky we got to hang out with for most of the weekend.

And of course, the biggest deal — Thomas and Brienne Lervik. They were the most amazing hosts. I was so impressed by how cool they were when the weather was scattering their guests all over the place. And I can't speak enough about their generosity. They were worried about every movement this groomsmen made. It was great knowing my presence (along with Adro) was such an important part of their wedding.

I'll probably post about the wedding all week. It was that much fun, that cool.

Pictured above, the Lerviks and I hours after their wedding, in a strip mall parking lot, exchanging some hugs before we part ways.

He said, "GO TO BED!"

Boyd is already trying every angle — resorting to tall tales — to work his mom for sympathy.

Just now he was crying in his crib, so I went to check on him. He just started crying harder and wouldn't let me console him.

So Adrianne walked in. That's who he wanted, so I bailed. As I walked out I heard him say, "I want water!" in a choked-up sob. Wanting to help, I went and got him a water.

By the time I got back he was already laying back down, and Adro was shutting the door behind her. "Did you hear him?" she asked. I said yeah, I heard he wanted a water.

"No..."

Apparently there already was a water in the room. So Adro gave him a drink (logical, I know.) She asked him if he had asked me for water. Boyd said he did (he didn't.)

"And what did Daddy say?"

"He said, 'GO TO BED!'" Boyd said.

Also untrue!

Boydee... that's not cool, man!

Boydee's recent 'cut

Here are a couple before/after photos from Boyd's recent haircut. Gloria took care of him this last time, and she did a nice job. Boyd also did a nice job sitting quietly in the chair... everyone at the barber shop was impressed by his behavior.

***

I asked Evey last night if she wanted to sign up for soccer for the spring season. Waited until we were all at dinner so mom could be eyewitness that I wasn't pressuring her...

The verdict? Evey will not be taking her talents to South Beach... or Eudora Rec.

Heartbreak!

Oh well, it frees up my Saturdays.

Adro then asked her if she wanted to play basketball next season. She gave me a sad look and said no.

Evey then asked us if it was OK to return to a sport after she's been away for a while?

Sensing a glimmer of hope I gave her a pep talk that she can return to soccer or hoops whenever she wants.

She then told Adrianne she wants to return to ballet.

%&*#

***

The Kinkos downtown is lousy. No customer service, they just ignore you half the time. Is there a better place to go? Copy Co? I'm open to suggestions.

I miss the days when Minuteman Press did smaller jobs.

(Lookin' at you, Copy Jesus.)

***

Frustrating loss for the Jayhawks last night. They never looked like they were able to get it together.

Still, I'll take losses in February over losses in March any time.

Happy to see Greene and Frankamp get quality minutes.

 ***

If you get Kansas Outdoors magazine, check out the two articles in the new issue written by your pal Seth. One is on adventure sports, the other is on great golf courses in Kansas.

Good times.

Also, you can check out my recap of my top 5 moments from the Golf Industry Show here, if you're interested. (Maybe Eddie?)

***

Applied for a new passport today. $140! My old one just expired after 8 years.

I'm hopeful to go back to England again this year. Also, Rees Jones invited me to visit a course his father built in the Dominican Republic last week. He's renovating it.

Nothing concrete for either trip yet, but finger's crossed.

***

Bought three CDs at Love Garden yesterday: Tool's Opiate (can't believe I've never owned this... worth the $6 for track 4 alone... Maynard's got PIPES!); Mad Season's one and only album; and a 2001 bootleg of a live White Stripes show from London.

The Tool disc is good. White Stripes decent. Haven't popped in Mad Season yet.

***

I've rambled enough tonight. More later.

Mr. Magoo

OK, so there is a photo of me like this...

And now, history repeats itself...

The good news, Son, is no matter what early photos look like... you're going to grow up to be a bad hombre...

FW: Another snow day

Another photo from while Adro and I were in warm Orlando… from Judy's cell phone.

FW: Only hours before your home!

Special thanks to Judy for watching the kids for four days while Adrianne and I were both in Orlando for the Golf Industry Show!

So happy we're both home now. And also happy that the kids did so well while we were gone! I'm not sure who had the best time — Evey, Boydee or Judy!

Thank you Judy!

110 hours in

We're through three days now. I've only lost Boydee three times. (Two times he was in his room, once he was in section 108 at Allen Fieldhouse.) Evey's tooth still hasn't fallen out yet, and it's hanging from a thread.

We had a nice laid-back weekend. Well, except Super Bowl Sunday, I partied like a rock star, had a few friends over, woke up with a level three hangover. How awesome is my MIL? She watched the kids for me so I could watch that lousy football game and pound beers off my keg.

Anyway, we're all missing Momma but the kids are doing great. They're awesome kids.