Hate Crime

I am not sure why Christians don't view this symbol as a "Hate Crime". Could you imagine any other religion remaining silent about the desecration of one of their religious symbols.

Cannonball!!!

Well, she said she would do it, and she did. A co-worker warned that at the project BBQ, she was going to sport a bathing suit and do a cannonball into the pool. Sure enough, about halfway through the BBQ, she took off her shorts and tank top, down to her tankini, and walked right over to the diving board and did a perfect cannonball into the Program Manager's pool. She then swam to the edge, got out, and put her clothes back on.

I will not be able to look at her the same way again. Tomorrow is going to be very awkward. I don't think that co-workers need to get that comfort level where bathing suits are involved. Now, I know that co-workers often become friends and hang out together. That happens all the time. But it's another thing to be at a "bathing suit" stage of friendly with co-workers, against their wilingness. I mean, you only work with them because you have to.

Abandon Ship?

I don't know yet...but this is how I feel.

Fanhood

Casual baseball fans need not apply for citizenship in Red Sox Nation. When it comes to baseball, there are no more educated, dedicated, or passionate fans in the world, as those of Red Sox Nation.

I have always been a Red Sox fan despite long durations away from New England (like most of my life), however, my father was a fan, so I became one too. I've never changed my "fanhood", despite living in NY, NJ, or OH. Being a fan means that you are a fan no matter where you live or how the team is doing.

New intel indicates that my brother-in-law, whom now lives in NYC, is a new Yankees fan (I think formelry an Indians fan). His rationale for choosing the Yankees as a team, despite now living there, is so unfounded that I won't bother to share it. It seems that these days, the new type of fan, will flip flop teams based on how a team is performing or based on liking a paticular player. How else could you explain young kids wearing jerseys and hats of players and teams that are clear across the country.

This mediocre "fanhood" has started me thinking about how I keep my son from flip flopping (also known as "John Kerrying") allegiance or worse yet, becoming a Yankees fan, since we live in NJ. Think of the peer pressure and the ridicule that he could get at school for aligning with Boston. I guess there are several methods that I could implore, including buying him so much Red Sox paraphernalia, that he would just be brainwashed into liking the Sox or threaten to send him to military school if he does not pledge his allegiance to the Sox.

In the end I will just continue to be a good fan, and try to teach my son about the proper type of "fanhood".

Ahhhh...Family Vacations

Vacation 2006 was an interesting one for sure. I will never be able to recap the entire week, but let's just say there won't be a lack of things to talk about at the next Russell Family get-together.
Here is a recap that only the insiders will get:

• Air Mattress
• Night Terrors
• 800 Altar Calls
• Lost Child
• Yippee Dog.."Cosmo, Shut Up"
• Ice Cream Soup
• Joe crashes Mini-Van
• Mini-Van Retaliates
• A/C not working, but since we have "deal", we can't complain
• Fried Food
• Did I mention Fried Food
• War College (I'm scared)
• Swing One...Wiff, Swing Two...Wiff
• Sox win it in the 9th, again
• Baking cookies during the heat wave
• Charlie fell out of bed again?
• Apples to Apples a big hit
• The Vortex
• Bird Poops on Lori
• Raspberry Green-Room Drama
• JR claims "I can blow colder air than this Air Conditioner"
• Russell Family, "No you can't"
• The Great Tip Debate
• Who Snores..."Papa Snores", says Charlie
• Eliza stalks Charlie through Glass Door
• Sand Everywhere
• Charlie Jogs to Pier
• Belly Button (Bee-bo) Mania
• Eliza Walks
• Paige is Chill Through it All
• Joe Gets Fried, again
• Eliza Expelled from Nursery
• Charlie puts Eliza in Choke Hold, I Mean Gives Her a Hug
• "Hi, This is Joe Pritchard at Joseph-Reps.com"
• "Have You Called Mike About the Dryer Yet?"
• Darlene Fashion Show every 5 minutes
• 13 over Par During a Scramble?
• The Law Offices of Russell, Russell, Russell, and Pritchard
• Fried Food (had to metion just one more time)
• Choo Choo...."I See it?"
• Parking - Dar's Soapbox
• "Pra"villion
• Crab Shack
• Musical Car Seats

Can't Wait till 2007 :)

JCPenny

You can't go wrong with JC Penny when decorating your house. It's no Resotration Hardware or Pottery Barn, but when it comes to having a sale it can't be beat. We looked around for Natural Woven Blinds (I feel like a girl just saying that), and they were priced at about $133 a window. We went to JC Penny's yesterday and found exactly the blinds we were looking for and only spent $27 a window. We did have to special order one of the shades and that only peaked at $55. That's quite a savings. That's what's great about Department Stores...they are always having sales.