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We have a fair number of friends and family who live in the commonwealth of Virginia. So, I was a little surprised and dismayed to find out today that almost a quarter of them are fat! Although not the fattest state in the nation, apparently it is the fastest growing. I've always resisted the urge to move to northern Virginia for a variety of reasons, despite the wealth of good jobs located there. This give me one more good reason to add to my list! :-)

Here We Go Again...

Just what the Boy Scouts of America need again is another black eye. Today, it was announced that the director or programs for the national organization has been charged with receiving and distributing child pornography, and he is expected to plead guilty. This is a 61-year-old leader who has been involved with the organization for 39 years. And, he is an Eagle Scout. I am outraged, appalled, and frankly sick and tired of hearing story after story of crime and corruption coming from an organization I have held in such high esteem for many years. I'm not sure how to solve this recurring problem, but it seems that a more rigorous process for becoming an adult leader should be put in place. I have no doubt that the vast majority of adult leaders are good people with good intentions and deserve a great deal of respect. That their reputations are continually tarnished by the actions of a few corrupt and devious individuals is extremely unfortunate and unfair. The survival of the organization rests on the shoulders of these people. Let's continue to support them and not let the actions of a few common criminals reflect poorly on them.

Biker Baby

We paid a visit a couple weekends ago to REI, one of our favorite outdoor gear stores, and picked up a bike trailer for the baby. After all, they were having a pretty good sale! Specifically, we bought the Burley d'Lite, a trailer that can accommodate two children and comes with an adjustable sun/wind screen and what can be best described as a small trunk. We took our maiden voyage last Friday, and the little one seemed to really enjoy himself. He was at least comfortable enough in the trailer to sleep through the second half of the ride. The next day, we decided to take a longer ride, so we headed out to the BWI Trail. We took a short ride on the trail over to the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail, which we rode south for four or five miles into downtown Glen Burnie. There, we stopped to see a sculpture that my father's company had built last year and was installed on the trail at the first site in a series of stops along the new Planet Walk exhibit. On the way back, the baby fell asleep in the trailer again!

Old Habits Die Hard

Last Sunday, I was left home alone for the day, something that hasn't happened in a very long time. The reason was that I had a take-home midterm exam due the next day, and I needed some quiet time to work on it. So, what did I do instead? I reverted back to my college days. It was a typical lazy Sunday from days past. I stayed in bed until one o'clock in the afternoon. I microwaved a frozen burrito for lunch and ate it standing at the kitchen counter. I didn't shower. At one point, I felt a minor twinge of motivation, so I laid my schoolwork out on the coffee table. But, the moment passed, and I threw Office Space in the DVD player, curled up on the couch, and laughed my butt off! By the time my wife got home around 5:30 or so, I was a third of the way through Swingers and had spent a total of about twelve minutes working on my midterm throughout the day! I don't really want to spend every Sunday this way, like I did in college, but it sure is nice to have a lazy Sunday every now and then.

Partying Like It's 1999

I attended my first-ever LAN Party on Saturday. This was a grown-up version of what I suspect the real thing would be like: the guys were downstairs with the computers while the girls were upstairs scrapbooking and the babies were constantly shifted between the two groups. Our gracious hosts kept us well fed and we had a great time.

Our game of choice was StarCraft. Originally released in 1998, it was partly chosen because it was pretty much guaranteed to run on everyone's machine. Having not played StarCraft in the 21st Century, it was nice to return to the familiarity of a well-designed game that I spent countless hours playing in grad school. I was surprised considering its age that StarCraft doesn't feel the least bit outdated; it's still as much fun to play now as it ever was. Plus, there's something to be said for the simplicity of older games compared to those of today. I, for one, especially with a baby at home, don't have a lot of time to devote to computer games anymore, so it's refreshing to play a game that you don't have to devote hours upon hours to in order to master it. I certainly hope that if and when StarCraft II is released, they don't overly complicate things, or I'll gladly stick with the original, thank you very much.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

I've been pretty busy lately. I'm ashamed to say that after posting to this site 22 times in January, the month of February saw a mere three posts! Even accounting for the fact that February was three days shorter than January this year, that's still pretty sad. Why have I been too busy to post? One word: school. I mentioned in an earlier post that I am now working towards another Master's degree. I'm taking two classes this semester, and with working full time and having a little one at home, that's a lot. The last time I took more than one class in a semester was way back in the spring of 99, when I was still considered a full-time student, had only a part-time job, and was not married with child. Granted, six more years of maturity and the lack of free time have actually helped me to focus on my studies in a way I never have before. Plus, having six years of my career under my belt has helped me to see the true value of a good education and where it can take you. I can clearly see that the sacrifice will be worth it in years to come.

That said, I'm happy to report that Spring Break came a little early this semester thanks to the batch of late-winter storms we've had recently. I have classes on Monday and Thursday nights, and it was a welcome break when last Thursday's and this Monday's classes were cancelled due to the snow. And, with everyone at the office freaking out about the snow, as is the case in any workplace south of the Mason-Dixon line, I was able to leave the office a little early last Thursday and enjoy some special father-and-son time out in the snow! It's times like these that remind me why I'm really taking classes and investing so much in my career in the first place.