Cian Rides the Bus

Cian rode the bus to school this morning for the first time. This is his fourth day, but previously Michael took him to school in the car.

It is a rainy day. We are getting fringes of tropical storm Fay as it moves back across the northern part of the state. Fortunately, it missed us entirely as it crossed the state from southwest to northeast.

Here are Cian and Michael waiting for the bus.






And here is Cian getting on the bus without the slightest hesitation.



There is another (better) picture on Michael's blog.

Cian Starts to School

Cian started to kindergarten today. Here he is at the front door, posing with his backpack. He didn't ride the bus today. His dad took him to school in the car due to the amount of stuff that he needed to take in on the first day. Riding the bus for the first time will be another big step.

This is not a big change in lifestyle for either Cian or us. He has attended "prekindergarten" for the past year, and was in day care before that. So this is just another step in a natural progression. But, still, it's a big step and an important one.

Leaving for school, with Dad

A Ton of Bricks

Sherry and I have been worrying about the tree that dropped a limb two weeks ago. Looking more carefully, we found that there are several other broken limbs that have not yet broked completely free, including one brushing against the roof of the neighboring house. We finally decided that the tree has got to go, and called several tree service businesses to give us prices.

The branch on the neighbor's roof has become an urgent issue because a hurricane is heading toward us. We are right in the middle of the projected path for Topical Storm Fay, which is predicted to be a hurricane by the time it reaches us on Tuesday. That broken limb, still hanging from the tree, could cause some serious damage in hurricane force winds.

One tree guy came by yesterday afternoon, and was really eagar to remove that limb before the storm. (Removing the whole tree before the storm is not feasible.) So, today we made the decision and gave him a call. He is supposed to be here tomorrow, Monday, morning to take care of that limb and do some initial cutting. The rest of the tree will have to wait until after the storm.

Doomed Tree. Note branch on roof of next-door house.
(Click picture for detailed image.)

With the tree guy coming tomorrow morning, we suddenly had another urgent problem. There were several stacks of bricks in various places under the tree, which would interfere with the tree work. The bricks had been there all summer, left over from a patio paving project and some of them ripped up for the added room that was built last winter. We had been meaning to do something with them all summer, but they never quite reached the top of the home project priority list. So today they did.

Sherry and I worked together, loading 34 bricks at a time into the wheelbarrow, pushing the wheelbarrow to the opposite side of the house, and restacking the bricks in an inconspicious area at the edge of the lot. I estimate that we moved 732 bricks, or about 21 wheelbarrow loads. Each brick weighs 5.2 pounds. So we moved about 3800 pounds of brick altogether. Tomorrow is not going to be a good day.

Cian Gets the Last Word

Scene: Michael's kitchen, breakfast time.
Rollins sitting at kitchen table reading NY Times.
Cian playing rambunctiously with 250 Matchbox cars, with sound effects.
Daddy tottering toward the table with his walker.

Daddy: Who wound that boy up?

Rollins: Nobody. He's self-winding.

Cian (indignantly): I'm not whining!

Bicycling

I have been trying to use my bicycle for local trips. Want to show that I can live without an automobile if I have to. This afternoon I made a trip to the grocery store, bringing home my groceries in a cardbord box strapped onto the rear luggage carrier of my bicycle. I realize that a cardboard box is not exactly cool, but it goes along with the Dockers and leather street shoes. A cool bicyclist would be in spandex shorts and wearing real bicycle shoes, properly strapped to the pedals. I'm just not that cool. No use in pretending.

Where I live, I can get most of what I need within a mile or two. I have ridden my bicycle previously to pick up a prescription from a pharmacy, a 1.75 Liter bottle of gin, and a medium pizza (all on separate occasions.) Sherry and I have ridden our bicycles to a restaurant once. I think the other patrons were duly impressed seeing us come in with bicycle helmets under our arms.

My workplace at the University of South Florida is about eight miles from my home, a very reasonable bicycling distance in decent weather. I started riding my bicycle occasionally last semester (Spring 2008). But I didn't have a shower and locker available, and usually felt pretty grungy throughout the day after riding my bicycle to work. I just discovered that I have a gym, including showers and lockers, available at USF for a reasonable cost. I signed up this week for the next year. My plan is to drive to work once per week, and stock the locker with clean clothes. On other days, weather permitting, ride my bicycle to the gym, work out in the gym for a while, then shower and change into clean clothes for the day's work.

Yes, I know it's really just a game. If there were no affordable gasoline, all of those nearby stores would not be full of merchandise. Prices would be out of sight, and I probably wouldn't have a job. But it gives me some comfort to feel like I am fighting back.

Old Humor

Like other population groups, the old have their own humor. Don't confuse humor about the old with the humor of the old. That's like confusing Polack jokes with Polish humor. (Polish humor, by the way, has a lot in common with our Polack jokes, but at the expense of the Russians.)

Humor about the old:

Elderly wife says to husband, "When one of us dies, I think I will move to Florida."

Humor of the old:


In a Tampa Tribune story about a long term resident, the journalist asks the old man about how he is doing. The old man answers:

"I don't buy any green bananas."

Bumper sticker spotted in Bradenton:

Toward the end of her life, my Mother told me about an elderly couple, both golf enthusiasts, living in a retirement community.

Wife: If I were to die before you, would you remarry?

Husband: Well, yes, I suppose so.

W: Would you let your new wife live in my house?

H: I suppose so. No reason not to.

W: And sleep in my bed?

H: I guess so. Can't see why not.

W: And wear my clothes?

H: No, that would be too personal.

W: What about my golf clubs? Would you let her use my golf clubs?

H: No. I wouldn't do that.

W: Why not?

H: She's left handed.

A Near Miss

Last night at about 11:00 PM I was answering an email from Terry when I heard a loud "thump" outside the house. Sherry was working on her computer in the same room.

R: "What was that?"

S: "Sounded like a limb falling off a tree."

I went back to the bedroom to get a flashlight, but that turned out to be unnecessary. A largish limb had fallen just outside the French doors that open to the outside. It was clearly visible under the porch light.

(Click on the picture for a detailed view.)

The tree is a bit to the left of the picture. I was puzzled by the fact that the severed end of the limb was against the house, away from the tree. It had barely brushed the house, and crumpled the little white metal table to its right.



I shined the flashlight up into the tree to try to see where it broke off. The broken stump was near the tree's trunk fairly high up. Perhaps 25 or 30 feet. Evidently the limb broke there near the trunk and hinged down, hanging from the point where it broke, with the ends of the branches at ground level. Then it broke loose, and the main branch pivoted over and slammed onto the patio, just brushing the house.


The limb looks perfectly healthy, with lots of green leaves and no sign of rot. I don't understand why it broke. We had had a heavy rain earlier in the evening, but no significant wind. It could be that the limb broke during the rain, but continued to hang, then broke free several hours later under the weight of the wet leaves.


I love that tree. It is nearly four feet in diameter at the trunk, and provides very nice shade for the house and back yard. We had it inspected by an arborist a couple of years ago and professionally trimmed. It was supposed to be safe. But if this limb can break off as it did, I wonder if I can trust any of them.