An Ode to a Windshield*
There's a tear on there
A drop of morning dew
* From a car seat
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Harry's First Poem
An Ode to a Windshield*
There's a tear on there
A drop of morning dew
* From a car seat
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Cute Harry Picture
I came across this one recently. Harry in the tiger lilies wearing a fake Tigers baseball cap.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Eleanor goes to France
Actually, she isn't ever going to France, and I'll tell you why. I saw the movie Taken recently. Liam Neeson has shown me the requisite skills I must have before sending my daughter to France and it looks like I have a long road ahead of me. Pistols, Krav Maga, counter intelligence training, offensive driving... all these skills are required before a loving father can even think about sending a loved one to that dank, fragrant, art-filled deathtrap.
Now some liberals in this country would have you believe that France, with Paris in particular, is a wonderful place full of culture and food and whatnot. We also know it's full of stereotypical Frenchmen. (Hence the stereotype.) You know the fellow, kind of dirty but endearing, with that cute little accent that makes your foolish daughter swoon. Well, just as every father suspected, he's pure evil and only fit to act as a speed bump for one of the fine examples of European public transportation.
Seriously, all fathers must see this movie. After all, if Liam Neeson can do it, so can you.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Hart's Hartman Ave. House in Hanover
So we are going to be homeowners.
Check it out.
We'll be closing in August, barring a basement full of radon.
UPDATE: No radon.
Check it out.
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| house pics |
We'll be closing in August, barring a basement full of radon.
UPDATE: No radon.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Longwood in Spring
So we need to do some catching up on the Hart Herald. In April we went up to Longwood Gardens, meeting up with Grandma and Pop-Pop. It was characteristically spectacular.
Harry and Eleanor both had a great time but for Eleanor it was her first opportunity to really enjoy the place fully. Of course it is still a little tough for her to keep up with Harry.
She did have a blast in the tree house. Eleanor must have spent a good half hour going up and down the steps, pausing only to ham it up for the camera.
Eventually Eleanor ran out of steam and it was just Harry ramming around. Fountains dominated the end of the trip.
He's like a young Korean Bernoulli.
"There's surely some way to relate the water's velocity at the base of the fountain to its eventual height achieved. Hmmm..."
But such intellectual pursuits where soon dispensed with, once we went inside and there were fountains you could play in.
That last one is clearly a child having wicked fun.
And here's a parting shot for Grandma. This trip introduced us to the Texas Weeping Redbud Tree.
Harry and Eleanor both had a great time but for Eleanor it was her first opportunity to really enjoy the place fully. Of course it is still a little tough for her to keep up with Harry.
She did have a blast in the tree house. Eleanor must have spent a good half hour going up and down the steps, pausing only to ham it up for the camera.
Eventually Eleanor ran out of steam and it was just Harry ramming around. Fountains dominated the end of the trip.
He's like a young Korean Bernoulli.
"There's surely some way to relate the water's velocity at the base of the fountain to its eventual height achieved. Hmmm..."
But such intellectual pursuits where soon dispensed with, once we went inside and there were fountains you could play in.
That last one is clearly a child having wicked fun.
And here's a parting shot for Grandma. This trip introduced us to the Texas Weeping Redbud Tree.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Biannual Update
So yeah, it's been a while. My birthday came and went, Harry had another Gotcha Day and Eleanor is nearing her second birthday.
So what would rouse me from my long absence in blogging?
A Swiss G11 I guess.
Isn't she a beauty? 52 inches of Swiss precision crafted by watchmakers in 1913. She features the original Schmidt-Rubin straight pull action that was later perfected in the K31 and fires the same 7.5x55mm Swiss ammo.
I got my first chance to take her out at the NRA indoor range in Fairfax. Her full-throated voice was quite fetching compared to the shrill barks of the common assault rifles that shared the room. Anyway, she is as accurate as I expected, with a crisp two stage trigger and plenty of barrel to sight down. She is slimmer than the K31 too and fit my hand quite a bit better.
But then she fell into the arms of another. Why, she was actually passed around. And is that some Russian harlot?
She needs a name so comment away.
So what would rouse me from my long absence in blogging?
A Swiss G11 I guess.
Isn't she a beauty? 52 inches of Swiss precision crafted by watchmakers in 1913. She features the original Schmidt-Rubin straight pull action that was later perfected in the K31 and fires the same 7.5x55mm Swiss ammo.
I got my first chance to take her out at the NRA indoor range in Fairfax. Her full-throated voice was quite fetching compared to the shrill barks of the common assault rifles that shared the room. Anyway, she is as accurate as I expected, with a crisp two stage trigger and plenty of barrel to sight down. She is slimmer than the K31 too and fit my hand quite a bit better.
But then she fell into the arms of another. Why, she was actually passed around. And is that some Russian harlot?
She needs a name so comment away.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Guest Blogger of Sorts
Originally, I think I was supposed to be the main contributor to this blog. Seeing how my husband has more natural bent toward writing and commenting, I let him blog away with great results.
I would love to have shown you scads of pictures from Christmas 2008, but there were very few to be had. Harry turned 3 on December 23. Harry's birthday is affording him all sorts of great things. He starts preschool in January which I think he is greatly looking forward to. Turning three also gets him out of the nursery at church and into the AWANA group on Sunday nights, so all in a a momentous birthday.
I would love to have shown you scads of pictures from Christmas 2008, but there were very few to be had. Harry turned 3 on December 23. Harry's birthday is affording him all sorts of great things. He starts preschool in January which I think he is greatly looking forward to. Turning three also gets him out of the nursery at church and into the AWANA group on Sunday nights, so all in a a momentous birthday.
Harry enjoying his Barbara Streisand. He got the Hello Dolly movie soundtrack for his birthday, compliments of WALL-E's favorite movie.
And then...the illness set in to our family and took over like some insidious Disney villain. We naively thought that we would recover soon and drove up to NJ to visit with our family. Where we remained still sick, steady state in fact. But we are thankful for having such gracious parents (Judy and Paul) to host us . The kids had a blast with Grandma and PopPop.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Another Trip to Longwood
We finally made it back to Longwood Gardens. Our last trip is chronicled here.
It was a perfect day to walk (or scooter) amongst the flowers and trees. We met up with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Christin and the fun began.
After the initial flurry of frantic running around, we settled into a more cerebral analysis of the plants. Pepper plants, specifically.
Harry was more interested in the sculptures.
As I type this Harry is saying "Fountain! Picture of fountain!" The fountains at Longwood were pretty impressive this trip. They've been doing a lot of work on the grounds over the last few years, and most of the projects are done at this point.
The indoor areas have also seen significant improvements. Harry continues to be fascinated by water. Eleanor is too, but we can't trust her not to just jump in, so we don't have photos of her.
We ended the day with a good family photo op, ruined by Dad wearing his hat like some sort of punk kid.
Maybe next year...
It was a perfect day to walk (or scooter) amongst the flowers and trees. We met up with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Christin and the fun began.
After the initial flurry of frantic running around, we settled into a more cerebral analysis of the plants. Pepper plants, specifically.
Harry was more interested in the sculptures.
As I type this Harry is saying "Fountain! Picture of fountain!" The fountains at Longwood were pretty impressive this trip. They've been doing a lot of work on the grounds over the last few years, and most of the projects are done at this point.
The indoor areas have also seen significant improvements. Harry continues to be fascinated by water. Eleanor is too, but we can't trust her not to just jump in, so we don't have photos of her.
We ended the day with a good family photo op, ruined by Dad wearing his hat like some sort of punk kid.
Maybe next year...
Friday, September 19, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Where are the Iranians hiding their weapons?
The gun shop is all out of the cheaper, "very good" grade, of the Persian Mausers. Blast! Revisiting my post below, I think I am going to go with an Enfield.
This is my dilemma. There are two major types of Enfields: the #1 mark 3 and the #4 mark 1. The #4 is the prettier gun, I can get one made in America in the early 40's, and it is generally a bit smoother and improved over the older #1 mk3.
So where's the dilemma, you may ask? Well, the #4's don't come with this.
That's 17 inches of blade. The British transitioned slowly from the Halberd to the rifle, seemingly reluctant to give up any capability when it came to stabbing. They finally went to a smaller blade for the #4 Enfield because the overall weight of the gun went up quite a bit and reducing the length of the sword on the end was the most obvious place to cut some weight.
Here's a side by side of the guns.
Enfield #1 mkIII
Enfield #4 mk1
So, I can either get a nice rifle or a polearm that also happens to shoot bullets. Decisions, decisions...
UPDATE: I have since learned that I can also get a #1 mkIII Enfield that is wire wrapped. The idea was to reinforce the stock so it could be used to fire grenades. The plain Jane version of the #1 MkIII is ugly but this could take it over the top to bulldog ugly. You know, endearingly ugly.
This is my dilemma. There are two major types of Enfields: the #1 mark 3 and the #4 mark 1. The #4 is the prettier gun, I can get one made in America in the early 40's, and it is generally a bit smoother and improved over the older #1 mk3.
So where's the dilemma, you may ask? Well, the #4's don't come with this.
That's 17 inches of blade. The British transitioned slowly from the Halberd to the rifle, seemingly reluctant to give up any capability when it came to stabbing. They finally went to a smaller blade for the #4 Enfield because the overall weight of the gun went up quite a bit and reducing the length of the sword on the end was the most obvious place to cut some weight.
Here's a side by side of the guns.
Enfield #1 mkIII
Enfield #4 mk1
So, I can either get a nice rifle or a polearm that also happens to shoot bullets. Decisions, decisions...
UPDATE: I have since learned that I can also get a #1 mkIII Enfield that is wire wrapped. The idea was to reinforce the stock so it could be used to fire grenades. The plain Jane version of the #1 MkIII is ugly but this could take it over the top to bulldog ugly. You know, endearingly ugly.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Birds and Bees... and Butterflies and Flowers
Yeah, that "little discussion" I'll be forced to have with Harry when he is a bit older is likely to be a bit more complex than my parents had to deal with, but that is not what this post is about. This post is about actual birds, bees, flowers, and butterflies.
Last month, the family went to the National Aquatic Gardens, located just inside the Capital Beltway off of 295. We had been there before but this was the first trip when it wasn't scorching hot. It made a big difference.
So yeah, pictures.
The logistics of parenthood.
"Our destination is over yonder, son."
"Flowers? It's just flowers? Where are the snakes I was promised?"
"Well, there are butterflies...
butterflies cavorting with bees...
but it is mostly flowers, yes."
"Flowers, flowers, flowers, a bird!"
"And you can't forget that this place avails us the opportunity to make some obvious observations about the ephemeral nature of life."
"Look Harry, that water lily sinking into the pond after a brief blaze of insane beauty is just like Ophelia from Hamlet."
Last month, the family went to the National Aquatic Gardens, located just inside the Capital Beltway off of 295. We had been there before but this was the first trip when it wasn't scorching hot. It made a big difference.
So yeah, pictures.
The logistics of parenthood.
"Our destination is over yonder, son."
"Flowers? It's just flowers? Where are the snakes I was promised?"
"Well, there are butterflies...
butterflies cavorting with bees...
but it is mostly flowers, yes."
"Flowers, flowers, flowers, a bird!"
"And you can't forget that this place avails us the opportunity to make some obvious observations about the ephemeral nature of life."
"Look Harry, that water lily sinking into the pond after a brief blaze of insane beauty is just like Ophelia from Hamlet."
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Historical Firearms I Want
This is a very gun-centric post.
I have the C&R bug bad. There are only two "curio or relic" firearms in my little arsenal and I feel the need for more of them.
What I have now are the Swiss K31 I got from the folks for Christmas and the Soviet Mosin M44 Carbine I bought with the money I got from the folks for my birthday. Both have been refinished to as good a condition as I can get them and shoot just fine. But, bullets cost money and going to the range is both expensive and takes lots of time. So my plan is to continue to build my little collection until such time that I can escape with the family to the hills of Kentucky or somewhere else where land is plentiful and people are scarce. (Mom and Dad recommend NJ.)
So what follows is a list of firearms I want to add to my collection.
Mosin 91/30
This is the long barreled version of the Soviet gun I already have. Those numbers, 91/30, indicate the year the gun was originally developed and the year it was refined. That means 1891 and then 1930. This was the primary firearm of Czarist and Soviet Russia. I think I'd just go for the oldest example I could find that I could still shoot. More info here.
Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE)
The "Smilie" or "Smelly" was the backbone of the British Empire through most of the 20th Century. There are numerous versions of this gun made all over the world, including: Britain, Canada, USA, Australia, and India. Most tempting for my collection would be a WWII era US-made Savage Enfield sent to the UK under the Lend-Lease Act. More info here.
Israeli Mauser
These guns have a certain ironic appeal. They are German Mausers, used by the Nazis, that were captured and then sold to the new state of Israel. Take that, Hitler!
US M1 Carbine - Image from Aim Surplus. Go there, buy stuff!
This is the semi-automatic gun given to truck drivers, tankers, and other guys that supported the infantry in WWII. It fires a weaker cartridge than the full sized M1 Garand battle rifle, but it was still sufficient to send plenty of Nazis and Japanese militarists to their eternal "reward." Alas this gun is pretty much out of my price range, but if I were to come into a windfall, I know which one I would get. How cool would it be to own a gun made by IBM? Yes, that IBM. Gotta love the war economy. Maybe if we can get McCain in office, I can get my Apple iGun.
M1 Garand
I have to get one of these since I am an American. To quote Patton, "Best battle rifle ev-er." Or something to that effect.
But what am I going to get next? None of the above, actually.
I came across a really interesting rifle while perusing the internet the other day. It's the Persian Mauser 98/29. Same deal with the numbers. 1898/1929. This is a rifle designed by the Germans, built by the Czechs at the famous (what, you haven't heard of it?) BRNO factory, for use by the Persians. Yep, it's an Iranian gun from back before they were Iran. It is over four feet long, fires a huge 8mm cartridge, and has a lion crest. And it's not one of those androgynous lions either.
More here.
I have the C&R bug bad. There are only two "curio or relic" firearms in my little arsenal and I feel the need for more of them.
What I have now are the Swiss K31 I got from the folks for Christmas and the Soviet Mosin M44 Carbine I bought with the money I got from the folks for my birthday. Both have been refinished to as good a condition as I can get them and shoot just fine. But, bullets cost money and going to the range is both expensive and takes lots of time. So my plan is to continue to build my little collection until such time that I can escape with the family to the hills of Kentucky or somewhere else where land is plentiful and people are scarce. (Mom and Dad recommend NJ.)
So what follows is a list of firearms I want to add to my collection.
Mosin 91/30
This is the long barreled version of the Soviet gun I already have. Those numbers, 91/30, indicate the year the gun was originally developed and the year it was refined. That means 1891 and then 1930. This was the primary firearm of Czarist and Soviet Russia. I think I'd just go for the oldest example I could find that I could still shoot. More info here.
Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE)
The "Smilie" or "Smelly" was the backbone of the British Empire through most of the 20th Century. There are numerous versions of this gun made all over the world, including: Britain, Canada, USA, Australia, and India. Most tempting for my collection would be a WWII era US-made Savage Enfield sent to the UK under the Lend-Lease Act. More info here.
Israeli Mauser
These guns have a certain ironic appeal. They are German Mausers, used by the Nazis, that were captured and then sold to the new state of Israel. Take that, Hitler!
US M1 Carbine - Image from Aim Surplus. Go there, buy stuff!
This is the semi-automatic gun given to truck drivers, tankers, and other guys that supported the infantry in WWII. It fires a weaker cartridge than the full sized M1 Garand battle rifle, but it was still sufficient to send plenty of Nazis and Japanese militarists to their eternal "reward." Alas this gun is pretty much out of my price range, but if I were to come into a windfall, I know which one I would get. How cool would it be to own a gun made by IBM? Yes, that IBM. Gotta love the war economy. Maybe if we can get McCain in office, I can get my Apple iGun.
M1 Garand
I have to get one of these since I am an American. To quote Patton, "Best battle rifle ev-er." Or something to that effect.
But what am I going to get next? None of the above, actually.
I came across a really interesting rifle while perusing the internet the other day. It's the Persian Mauser 98/29. Same deal with the numbers. 1898/1929. This is a rifle designed by the Germans, built by the Czechs at the famous (what, you haven't heard of it?) BRNO factory, for use by the Persians. Yep, it's an Iranian gun from back before they were Iran. It is over four feet long, fires a huge 8mm cartridge, and has a lion crest. And it's not one of those androgynous lions either.
More here.
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