Randman's World

Saturday was the grand opening of the new Disney Store in Zona Rosa, so they brought in Mickey and Minnie to make it a real celebration. We thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to test whether Charlie would
#1 - Stand in a line
#2- Be terrified by a 5 foot mouse!

First was a trip to the Disney Store. We bought a couple of pair of pj's, and a Mickey Mouse costume for Haloween. We got a free pair of Mouse Ears for Charlie, which he grudgingly wore!



Then, over to the food court area, where Mickey was. We waited in line. It went about as we expected. Charlie didn't like being held, and wanted down. Once down, he wanted to walk, but we were able to distract him by dancing with him to the music they were playing.

Finally, it was the moment of truth. Our turn with Mickey had arrived! We walked up, Mickey held out his hands, and Charlie gave him "5". Then, Mickey tried for the hug, but Charlie wasn't really interested.
Then, a quick family photo with Mickey, and we were done.

Charlie went off to play on the Zona Rosa fruit plate. Then, suddenly, Minnie mouse comes out. A quick crowd forms, but then, just as quickly, they are all through and only about 3 people are in line. We decide to try it again, now that Charlie has already met Mickey.

We walk up, and soon, it's our turn. Charlie sees Minnie, and goes running up to her, gives her a "Big Hug", and just generally loves on her. It was very sweet. A quick photo (trying to capture a moving 2 year old is almost impossible), and it's done.

As we are walking off, I tell Charlie, "Tell Minnie thank you, and that you'll see her again in two weeks!". Minnie looks at Charlie, points to her eyes, and then points to him, indicating, "I'll see you then!"

Stupid me, I totally forgot to ask Mickey about the job in Orlando!

One of my favorite musicians, Maynard Ferguson, died Wednesday at the age of 78. Who was Maynard Ferguson? Many people have no idea. To call him a trumpet player would be to call Michael Jordan someone who plays a bit of basketball. Maynard was an incredible trumpet player, known for his screaming high notes.

I first saw Maynard in 1983, in Branson. I was playing in the School of the Ozarks jazz band, and the band leader, Leon Bradley, took us to see Maynard, who was playing a concert at the Branson High School. I had no idea who Maynard was, but Mr. Bradley, knowing my music taste, told me, "Trust me, you're going to love this!"

We get to the high school gym, and see a bunch of guys on stage, not much older than we are, walking around in black t-shirts and jeans. They don't appear too enthused, and just plain look bored. We sat down in the 2nd row, center. I'm sitting there. The lights go out, and the drummer, still looking kinda bored, counts off the beat for "Birdland". The band comes to life. Tight brass, unbelieveable rhythm section. And then, Maynard walks on stage.

He comes center stage to the microphone, pulls his trumpet up to his lips, and starts hitting notes that I didn't know could come out of a trumpet. The bell of his trumpet is aimed directly at my face, so I'm hearing the sound directly, rather than through the speakers. I imagine that my hair was blowing backwards from the sound coming out of his trumpet.

I'm sure my jaw dropped, and I was swept away in this incredible jazz band, their arrangements, and the stratosphere scraping sounds of Maynard's trumpet. I was hooked.

I had joined the Jazz Band as a way to get credit for playing guitar. But after that concert, I truly wanted to learn more about big band jazz. And I did. Everything from Glenn Miller to Stan Kenton to Chick Corea. I wrote a couple of arrangements for songs (one of which is still played on occasions at CMSU basketball games), and learned to score. I worked harder on my piano skills, and learned to improvise songs.

Maynard inspired a lot of musicians along the way. Many people whose names you would know played in his band (Chick Corea and Chuck Mangione, to name a couple).

As my post title says, heaven has a new lead trumpeter, and Gabriel has moved to second chair.

Yesterday, Charlie taught me something. I'm not sure if anyone else knows this, but it was pretty cool.

If you take a CD, and place the bottom side (non-label) side on a sliding glass door, it will stick. Then, it will fall slightly, and then, stick again. It can take 25-30 seconds to reach the bottom.

And, of course, this is fascinating to a 2 year old. And his 41 year old father.

Everyone who truly knows me knows that one of my desires for a long time has been to work for Disney. I admire the company, and all that it stands for. However, oppotunities have not availed themselves too often.

Then, today, while checking a job posting board for my occupation, I found a job. It's my job. I mean, it's exactly the job I'm doing right now, except, it's with Walt Disney World, in Orlando. I am 110% qualified for it. Every requirement they asked for, I meet!

Of course, there are so many variables: pay, relocation, cost of living, Charlie. But, I have to try for it, or forver wonder "what if".

Anyone know anyone at WDW HR?

Today is the 16th anniversary of my first date with Kim. We met at The Jones Store, and I asked her out. We ended up eating a fine dinner of TacoBell, and watching a movie.

I still remember walking out of her apartment, and looking back in the window, and seeing her open the drapes to watch me leave. I knew at that moment I was in trouble. The rest, as they say, is history. We were married a little less than two years later, and have stuck together through thick and thin, good and bad.

And of course, now is one of the great times, being parents together.

I love you, baby!

I said it the moment I saw the guy talking to the press. I'm very skeptical whether he actually was involved in the crime. There are several things that really bothered me when I saw his statements to the press. One of the things I was taught in interrogation school is that everything said is for a reason. There are no accidents in speech. So, some of his statements bother me.

"It is important for me that everyone knows that I love (JonBenet) very much, that her death was unintentional and it was an accident."

He speaks of her in the present tense. Not in the past, which would be proper for a person who saw her die. This would speak more to his fixation with her, as reported by his father.

I was with Jon Benet when she died.

He did not confess to killing her at that point. He has maintained it was an accident. She was strangled, though.

Reporters: Do you have any connections to the Ramsey family?
Karr: No comment.

Interesting that he wouldn't give any indication of these answers. Either he knew the Ramsey's or he didn't. If not, why not say no.

Reporters: How did you get into the basement?

Karr: No comment.
This is almost certainley a tie down element. Only the true killer would know the exact route into the home, which has been debated. Why not tell the answer, to prove you did it.

Then, there is the inconsistancy with the former wife, who has all but given him an alabi.

Karr's ex-wife, Lara Karr, was quoted by KGO-TV in California that she was with her former husband in Alabama at teh time of JonBenet's killing and she does not believehe was involved in the homicide.

Before anyone comments that it's just a wife protecting her husband, this is the wife who immediately divorced him after he was arrested for possession of child pornography, and who kept the kids from him. Not exactly a sympathetic witness.

I will be truly surprized if this holds up. My personal thought is that this is a pedophile who has had a fascination with JonBenet, and who has fabricated in his own head a fantasy that he molested her and killed her.

Today would be my father's 78th birthday. He passed away back in 1993, but he's still with me everyday. We named our son after him, both as a family tradition, and to honor him.

He was a very wonderful man. He spent 37 years working with the dreg of society, 27 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and 10 years running Alpha House, a halfway house in Springfield. He started his career at Alcatraz, working there for over 10 years.

Despite being surrounded by criminals all day, my father was a very loving and funny man. He also cared about the ex-offenders who truly wanted to make a go of it. More than once, I was stopped by former residents of Alpha House, who recognized me as "Charlie's Kid", to tell me how tough but fair my dad was, and how he had helped them make it.

I owe most of my sense of humor to him. I can still remember my dad almost passing out from laughing so hard at Johnny Carson's "Art Fern" character, describing the new Hooker Urn. What's a hooker urn? About $75 a night, but that's not important right now!He spent several years as mayor of our home town, Republic, MO, and then finally decided to officially retire. He remarried after my mother passed away in 1984, and moved around with his new wife, who was pursuing her own career. He spent some time in St. Joseph, and worked at KCI, screening luggage. He didn't really need to work, but he enjoyed interacting with the passengers and "messing with them" a little bit. He often liked to joke with people, while x-raying their bags, that the bottles of booze in their carryons must be bar-b-que sauce. Or, joking with the women that he could see all their deepest, darkest secrets (obviously, this was long before 9/11). He moved to Reno, NV, and worked at a grocery store that had slot machines, paying out the jackpots. Again, mostly to just mess with people.

Ultimately, cigarette smoking and poor diet weakened his heart, and he passed away from congestive heart failure, at the young age of 65. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about him, and wish I could talk with him. I know he'd be proud of little Charlie, and would be happy that he has a namesake. I saw him once with some of his wife's grandchildren, and I saw a side I didn't remember. He was so sweet with the kids. I really wish Charlie could know his Grandpa.

It's been several days since the surgery, and Charlie is doing fine. It hasn't slowed him down a bit. He's playing rough and tumble, and full contact. The only time he fusses is at diaper changing time, when we have to apply some A-D ointment. Other then that, he's been a real little trooper!

So, Wednesday was the day that we had dreaded. Charlie was circumsized. We had it done at Children's Mercy South. Everything went great, and he is doing fine. They knocked him out, and then, after the surgery, gave him numbing in his nerves leading to that area, so he felt no pain after the surgery.

Here's some photos of the day.

UPDATE: Because the posting of the videos slowed down the loading of my blog huge, I've removed the Youtube video posts, and changed to links. Also, I've posted several more. Just go to Youtube.com, and search "Randytenn"

For a couple of years, I was in charge of video production for my church, Vineyard Church, Kansas City North. They liked having comedy during the services, so I was given pretty much free reign to create videos. I wrote, directed and edited them. I was also allowed to use the staff of the church, and make fun of them (with their permission).

I finally got around to posting some of them on Youtube, and so, I thought I would link them on here.

First, is our longest video. It's a COPS parody, called POPS - Pastors on Patrol.

Second is the last video I did at church, before Charlie showed up and sucked up all my time. It is a Twilight Zone parody, used to show how important volunteers are at church.

Next is an 1950's educational film, designed to teach you how to Meet and Greet in church. This is one of my favorites that I did.

Next, we did a very fun video, looking at what the Senior pastor and Worship pastor do on their day off.

And lastly, when Randy McCoy left as Worship Pastor, we hired Curt Bartlett. We had to introduce him to the congregation, so we produced this video.

I have several others that I will get around to posting to youtube as well, and then will post them here. I miss doing the videos, but the time commitment is huge, as it often takes 25-30 hours to do one 3 minute video. I'm sure at some point, I'll do another one, but first, I have to get Charlie's adoption video done.

I still have not gotten my income tax refund from the State of Missouri. Even though I filed in late February. Why? Many reasons.

They had to wait until after June to process our tax return because we were receiving an adoption tax credit. We can receive up to $10,000.00 in tax credits for the adoption. Obviously, you only get back your tax liability for the year, and not the whole $10k, but it was still going to be a chunk of change. You can carry over the remaining portion of the credit for up to 5 years.

But, Missouri only funds 2 Million for adoption tax credits (will someone explain to me how you "fund" a tax credit? How do you fund receiving less money? Seems like you just adjust your budget down. You don't pay for tax credits.) So, we had to wait until they can total all the credits requested. Turns out, there were more requested then funded, so we end up only getting something like 44% of the tax credit we would receive this year. That sucks.

So, finally, on July 20, the state sends out my check. At least, that's what the say. I've not received a check. I got the letter explaining they adjusted my return for the new amount, but no check. And guess what? They won't reissue a new check until the first one has been missing for 30 days.

Here's hoping this money comes soon. Disneyworld may be a bit tight if we don't get this tax return in a timely manner.