Randman's World

Pete Commented:
"Ok, enough pics of 40 year old dudes and cute kids. How about some pics of your hot single co-workers who wouldn't mind meeting your out-of-state pals when they come visit. I don't think that's asking too much is it? "

You asked, I answered:

It's a Fort! Perfect hiding space!

Charlie enjoys reading his books in his new room. Mostly, he enjoys having his toys back, after being without them all those months.

Vika, our translator during Charlie's adoption, visited us in Orlando. It was great seeing her, and she loved seeing Charlie. It was also wonderful getting to take her to Walt Disney World. She had always dreamed of seeing the castle, so it made us very happy to make her wish come true. She sure helped make ours come true!

We also got to meet her boyfriend, Rinat. Amazing that she comes to America to study at LSU on a Fullbright Scholarship, and ends up meeting a guy from her home town in Russia. He was a very nice guy!

Last, but certainly not least, we had big doings around our house tonight. For the first time, Charlie sat down on his potty. Granted, the lid was down, but it was a very big move for a very brave little boy. He's really hating his diapers, so we're hoping soon that he will want to use the potty like a big boy!

I've received the honor of being the "CFI Ambassador" for the quarter. Which means that an article is being written about me for the Certified Forensic Interviewers. I know, means nothing to anyone else out there, but I was tickled to get it.

So, I need a photo for the article, so Sarah at work, who is the most artistic person here, volunteers to take a photo of me. I put on my shirt and tie, and have the photo taken.

When I see it, I was truly amazed at how much older I've began looking. I look like a middle aged businessman. Sure, I'm in my 40's, and not my 20's anymore, and sure, I've put on way too many pounds, but I think we all picture ourselves differently. The grey hair is really starting to show up. And other hair is starting to disappear. I think the stresses of the past year have really taken a toll.

Well, I guess your only as old as you feel, and I still feel and think youthful. I've got to. I have to keep up with a 3 year old!

The shirt was a joke present from me. He was the mayor of our hometown (Republic, MO), and often made this quote. And he was rarely as serious as he looks in this photo.

I miss you, Dad!

So, this past couple of weeks has been very busy. I hinted a bit at it in my brief post, but to kind of bring everyone up to date:

• Our furniture arrived the weekend before last. It was very hot, but everything got moved in by 2:30 p.m. There was some damage to some of our items, but it’s sure nice to have our stuff back.
• I’ve had my first go at cutting a Florida lawn. First, it’s hot as heck when your mowing, so you take it slow. Second, the Florida St. Augustine grass is really thick and difficult to mow. But, I got it done, and the yard looks beautiful. I’m really going to try to maintain the nice landscaping we acquired.
• Charlie was so happy to see his furniture, bed, and toys. His first nap in his bed lasted 4 hours. So, we figure he was just really comfortable. He’s unpacked most of his toys, and they are scattered throughout the house.
• We’ve had a couple of swims in the community pool. The water is so warm, it’s almost like bath water. Gotta love the Florida sun.
• Daycare = Petrie Dish. Charlie had gotten sick with Strep a few weeks back. During the move in, and all the work, I got run down, and caught Strep. It kicked me really hard, and I was off work for 3 days. But, I’m back now, albeit still with a sore throat, but no fever or chills.
• Kim is so tickled with her kitchen and closet. For the first time in years, she can have all her clothes in one location, and all her kitchen stuff fit in the cabinets. No more storing stuff in bedroom closets. However, we have discovered that the storage in the master bath is seriously lacking, so we are going to have to come up with some way of adding to it.
• The furniture fits perfectly in the house. We were a bit concerned that we might be a bit cramped. Far from it. Our bedroom is so big, we are using the center of it for storage. And the living room/dining room is huge. Walking from our bedroom to Charlie’s room is quite a hike. We had to break out the baby monitors for peace of mind.
• We got to see the Space Shuttle launch from our front yard. Very cool!

So, everything is going good. I sure do miss my Missouri friends. I miss doing improv, and hanging out with everyone. But, it’s a lot of fun down here! We’re getting our guest bedroom set up, so make your reservations early! I'll try to get some photos up soon!

Finally, I feel a bit back to normal.

Sure, our house is a disaster, full of boxes, stuff everywhere, with no end in sight.

And sure, I can't find any of my tools (it looks like the movers may have lost them), so I can't assemble any of Charlie's swingset, or any of the new furniture we need to buy.

But, we finally have telephone, cable and internet. WOOHOO! We are back in the communication age.

Slowly but surely, our lives are getting back to normal.

What the heck are Chinch bugs?

Posted by Tracy Crowe Jones | 4:41 PM






Blissus leucopterus also known as the true Chinch Bug is a small (about 1/8th inch (3-4 mm)) North American insect in the order Hemiptera and family Lygaeidae. It is the most commonly encountered member of the Blissus genus which are also known as Chinch Bugs.

This tiny pest, rarely measuring over 6 mm in length, causes millions of dollars in damage per year, as homeowners seek to control chinch bug outbreaks by applying insecticides and replacing damaged grass.

It’s the first of August, and supposebly (sic) we are going to close on our house today. We did the final walk thru inspection last night, and there were a couple of things that needed to be repaired. Apparently, the yard was attacked by chinch bugs. So, we have a 150 sq foot section of dead grass. Apparently, the owner forgot to read the section of the real estate contract that says he will maintain the home and yard in the same condition as when the contract was signed. But, he agreed to re-sod the area today.

We are still waiting to find out what time we will close on the house. The title company hasn’t got all the documents, so we don’t know when we will close. But, hopefully, it happens. We are SO READY to get out of the one bedroom apartment. Charlie wants his own room, and so do we.

One interesting thing yesterday. I had the home inspector out to reinspect the work done, and we were waiting on the owner to get back. We were standing in the garage, and I looked over, and there was a hockey stick leaning against the wall. I looked down and saw “Wayne” written on it, along with something else I couldn’t read. I thought, “no way is that a Wayne Gretsky autographed hockey stick, sitting in the garage”. I picked it up, and sure enough, it was signed by Gretsky. When the owner got back, I asked him about it. He said that it was a real autograph. The owner was a golf pro at the Ritz in Orlando, and was working when Gretsky walked in one morning, after a night of fun. Gretsky was still in his same clothes, and looking haggard. He asked if they knew where he could get his clothes pressed, and the owner said he had a steamer that Gretsky could use, but it would cost him. Gretsky agreed to sign some sticks after his golf round, so the owner drove to a sporting goods store, bought all the sticks they had, and Gretsky signed them all. Nice!