Friday, July 11, 2014

Garage Sale & Tour Dates Announced

We're having a garage sale this weekend. 7/11-7/12, 8am-2pm. Anyone else have excess they're trying to make a buck on? We don't do it annually, but a semi-regular purge is always nice.

Conley Family 2014 Tour Dates Added

Lexington, KY
Knoxville, TN
Mount Mitchell - Highest Point in NC








Asheville, NC
Gaffney, SC
Columbia, SC
Fayetteville, NC
Boone, NC

Danville, VA
Blacksburg, VA
Roanoke, VA
Baltimore, MD
Washington, DC
Lansing, MI
Grand Rapids, MI

Anyone have recommendations in those areas on "must-do" or "must eat"?

Can the Reds survive with a Pena, Santiago, Cozart, Half-Frazier infield and a backup catcher named Tucker? Regardless, I'm looking forward to some of the remaining series this season. Bucs in town for three (take 2 of 3), get to 51 wins... I'll take that, if I knew in hindsight we'd be playing with a patchwork squad that includes a bullpen straight out of the Goshen beer league.

Julie and I moved into Season 3 of Dexter. Shaping up for a decent run... I always like looking at the titles in advance on Netflix but NEVER reading the plot summary. I polled FB friends and most told me Season 4 was the cutoff point, definitely a drop off after 5... I shall sit back and wait.

24 was in the same category... definite swagger-loss after the Behrooz Araz (Season 4), but I still love them all like my child(ren). I still rank their best seasons as: 2, 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 5, 7 (& Redemption). Live Another Day can still pull some miracles and make it in the top 50%... I'm not sure if it's actually good or if it's still novelty at this point.

LINKS

Amazing app/website - https://roadtrippers.com

I wanted this shirt on Wednesday night. I've bought one shirt total in my twenty years of concert-hopping. Something about $35 tees, I just can't come to grips with. I still won't do over $5 parking, unless I can find someone to split with.

Speaking of DMB, not the most 'amazing' set list, but we did get some rarities toward the end. I was one of seven attendees pleased with the encore.

Julie and I had a day-date here. Totally going back. (If you can't make it to Banana Leaf, always call ahead at the Wildflower... if we could make it a habit, we would).

Celtics 2017... calling it.

Happy Friday! Have a good weekend.

Listening to: Minus the Bear









Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Go Reds

Going to baseball games is something we've always done.  Adam has been a lifelong Reds fan and I've always enjoyed any live sport.  Last summer we took him to a Dragons game.

Reid and PopPop Dave// Sleeping on daddy// Sporting his Dragons hat with me


Now that Reid is 2, we've been taking him with us to Reds games.  The first time was... a challenge.  It was fun, but a challenge.  We didn't really see much of the game.  We never made it to our ticketed seats.  We only sat for maybe an inning... or half an inning?  But Reid DID get a certificate for attending his first game.  He also joined the Reds Heads Kids Club.


7.2.2014 - dadablog

It's that time of year again... the grand lead-up to Independence Day and WHAM!, summer's over. (Well, that's how I used to feel as a kid). Any more, seems that summer drags into week six of the football season.

Am I the only one that prefers fall/winter fashion over the scantily clad ways of the summer? I love the first time I put on a pair of jeans after months of exposed legs. The first trip to a Friday night football game in a sweatshirt? Working in the yard with a durable long-sleeved shirt?

Lots to get done over the coming weeks. Family travel, garage sale (Thursday 7.10-Saturday 7.12), concerts, playgrounds, swimming pools, baseball games, etc.


North Park Amphitheater
Speaking of concerts, both Springboro and Centerville host an excellent array of FREE shows at North Park (Springboro) and Stubbs Park (Centerville) and they fall on different nights. We attended the 7/1 122nd US Army Band with one of the Smith families we run around with (and some Jimmy John's takeout). Made it through a good forty minutes of the set and skies threatened.

Julie and I (tried) to whisk everything back to the car, but I happened upon a man with a golden retriever service dog in training and we chatted for ten minutes. I'll spare the details unless you're really interested! (A great program, BTW)

It was a good thing we left, as we made it home just in time to let Lucy out for a quick bathroom break and it cut loose. Lightning like I haven't seen in awhile. I was in service at midnight and was spared any late night shenanigans, but our evening crew at WTFD had 50+ calls for service between the hours of 8p-12a. Phew.

Public service reminder: WTFD's 66th annual Ice Cream Social will be held at Station 44 (Centerville Business Park & Clyo) on Sunday August 10, 11a-6p. All proceeds benefit the Washington Township Firefighters Association and are put to great use - GPS units, portable radios, PPE, etc. Come out for some great food and desserts, awesome demonstrations, and plenty of kid-friendly activities.

Already starting the countdown for the BLHS Class of '99's 15th reunion this autumn. Can't wait to see a ton of great people... and maybe some gray hairs? I'm lucky to this point, but each visit to the barber, I'm noticing more and more of those little silver things on my lap.





Wednesday, July 2, 2014

6.27.2014 - dadablog






Another quick week in my world. More 'stuff' added to the molehill, you reach adulthood/parenthood and it's like building the unstructured sand pyramid. The one where you toss a bucket on an existing mega-pile, dump at the top, and maybe three grains stay put while the others trickle down to the bottom. Not complaining, at least I have things to do for the next twenty years.


#2 green, Liberty Hills... my favorite LoCo hole
In the meantime, I have a golf outing this weekend. Not a scramble either, a legit tournament... one that I'm a past (net) champion. The tourney is in it's 33rd(ish) year, I played my first time at age ten and carded a solid 121 at Woodland. I played later in my teens and probably the past 6-7 consecutively and used my 51 handicap to bring home a slew of prizes. This year will be neat, playing with dad, (brother) Jason, and (cousin) Brian. I'm just hoping I'm not 4th place in my foursome.


Traveled to Huber Heights last night for recognition of (officially retired) mother-in-law at a school board meeting. Reid William had other plans, so Julie got to watch it. Me? I stood in a 10x10 play area for pre-schoolers, shielding the sun from my boy while sweat trickled down my back. I watched him scoop mulch into a bucket and dump it in a flooded turtle shell. Hilarity ensued.


Clarkston, MI - 6/25/14
Looking forward to visiting Riverbend on 7/9. I surprised Julie last week by getting her tickets to a WEDNESDAY night Dave Matthews Band show. I've been to a few DMB concerts over the years, but surprisingly, this is only my second with the babe. I'm sure we'll have an awesome time... I could definitely use some alone time with dreamgirl.

In other news, I'm trying to re-invent my blog formatting (as to attract actual readers and possibly garner some comments). Julie reminds me that people don't want to hear a story (unless you want to write a story). Throw some ideas our way... what do you crave?

I'm heading to the beach in a month... I need book recommendations people. Please throw me a couple.





LINKS

Grantland - I'm a draft junkie (basketball & football). Not in the present, but looking back five/ten/twenty years later.


'96 draft class (note the lack of ink)
Smart drafting by the C's.

Daytonites - Saw this last night while visiting the great DLM. The Great American Root Beer Pack features five different old-time flavors sweetened with pure cane sugar. The pack includes two of each: The Original Bulldog; Red Arrow; Bedford's; Americana; and Dad's. O-So Delicious Butterscotch Root Beer has been in business in Chicago since 1946. There are ten 12-oz longneck bottles that are also sweetened with pure cane sugar. Enjoy some unique drinks this spring! Great American Root Beer Pack 10 pk • $12.99 • save $2.00 with Club DLM card. Love me a good summer root beer.


If you told me before the MLB season the Reds would be two games over .500 on 6/27, 7.5 out of first and 2.0 from the WC... not to mention their injury resume, I think I'd be fine with that.

WHAT'S GOOD

I've been listening to Fanfarlo, after finding them on one of my many decent blog subscriptions.