My delayed summer vacation

will start next Wednesday. Team ETJB will be driving to Mackinac Island for a wedding.

Things at work have been rather intense of late, so I'm psyched to bolt town. To explain, 2 people quit, rather un-amicably, as we face the 2008 budget.

So I'm still learning my job and picking up chunks of others.

Can't wait to get in the car and drive. See new things. Get the hell away.

Etc.
***
Have a nice long weekend, folks.

Yard Sale Outcome

Team ETJB and family friends had a yard sale at their house in Arlington this past Saturday. We made $50; they made $140. We had junk; they had good stuff.

Things we learned:

• The $29 ad in the Washington Post was worth it in bringing in the professionals in the morning.
• The online free stuff (Craig's List and Arlington Forum) helped too.
• Strategic signage in the neighborhood brought folks in throughout the day.
  
• Everybody knows that clothes don't sell, but we sold old shirts and shorts to a couple of folks. Ladies look at purses and shoes.
• A box full of electronic wires and parts was a hit for the hobbyists. People also were looking for furniture and jewelry.
  
• I sold my old stereo, tape deck, and big-ass speakers to a gent for $8. I bought that in high school. I hauled that thing back and forth to and from Texas and every time I moved while in D.C. I found the manuals when I got home, looking for something else!
• A Mo, who paid for everything with $2 bills, blew threw and bought a photo album, a bunch of old ties for a quarter each, and a picnic backpack. We call him Two Dollar Bill. He's the only one that asked about the free hot dogs that we had advertised. We didn't have any yet. So we went out later, bought some, and fired the grill up.
• As they left, his shopping partner already in the BMW, he asked for hotdogs again. We said that we have bagels (it was only 10:15 a.m.). He asked his partner who already had the car running, who replied: NO!! GET IN!
• 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. is too long. 2 p.m. is good enough time to close. Everything else went to Goodwill.
  

The best parts were the characters we met and clearing all that junk out of our house. It was also nice to see some items live on....

Jerk at the Fountain

With Baby ETJB's 3 cousins and grandmother in town we walked for nearby pizza. An intended purpose to this outing is the superfun fountain afterwards (next to the ice cream store).

So, there's this guy half-watching a boy. The boy is jumping/clearing the water with encouragement from a distracted iPhone checking guardian: O nice one! O you didn't quite make that one! O you are the best!...barely looking up.

Baby ETJB was all excited and like the other toddlers, actually playing in the water. Well, you can see where this is going. After hurdling the fountain spray, the kid--7 or 8 years old-- runs right into Baby ETJB, knocks her over so that she hits the back of her head on the brick. Both kids crying and screaming, the boy is crying louder. I pick Baby ETJB up to console her; and the iPhone guy (don't get me wrong--I want an iPhone!) is like: Look! he is hurt too!!...pointing at a bruise on the boy's shin that may have been there before the collision for all I know.

Thankfully, Mrs. ETJB was in Gifford's while all this went down. Knowing that if the baby is crying, it's pretty much ok, I was cool about the whole thing.

I really didn't know what to say though; How about: I suppose it is possible that my 2 year old girl hurt your boy when he ran into her. But I didn't say anything. Everything was ok; no big deal.

So, he asked the boy to apologize: apologize to the little girl even though it wasn't your fault, he instructs....

Mrs. ETJB returns with a chocolate cone to share. Everybody is calm and good now. A bump on the the back of the head is all it is; no blood.

Later the boy comes back. I was curious to see if Baby ETJB would be afraid of him; he sure looked afraid of her--at least sheepish. But she was too busy laughing and playing in the water, like the other toddlers and kids.

I suppose these types of confrontations, collisions, accidents will happen 50 more times before she turns 10.

RET-skins!

Just gettin ready!


Jason Campbell = the man!

Updates!

Long time, no blog.
So, sue me.
You are late with your subscription fees anyway.
Yeah, yeah. I will try to be more regular. With the blogging.
Thanks for all the e-mail requests.
+++
We roadtripped down to Tennessee last weekend with the baby. She handled it like a (state) trooper.
Back at work this a.m. A little slow, a little lethargic, 3 lbs. heavier from bar-b-que and fried chicken. But this office-grade coffee (called, "dark magic") will set in shortly.
+++
So the job, since y'all have been axing: it is fine. It is good. There is some low-grade office drama, but nothing I cannot hold steady on.
The big downside is the extra time away from home: like 11.5 hrs. per day. I do get every Friday p.m. off, which does extend the weekends, but it all comes at a cost.
+++
I've been running about 12 miles a week. So I've lost 10 lbs. this summer. Before that trip to Chattanooga. But I shall get rid of this newly extra and keep decreasing. Pretty good, huh?
++
I've got a bunch of new music recommendations that I can extend. That will come soon. Promise.