Slowing Down the Blur - kevinmorrison's Blog - Raising Bakersfield

You might be a redneck...

We drove home yesterday from a week long vacation at Morro Bay, and noticed the Christmas decorations going up around town. Straight to the point, inflatable Christmas decorations are LAME! Even more so if that's the only decoration you've got. Nothing says "I've got no time for Christmas" more than plugging one of those babies in.

What happened to the creativity? When I was a kid (maybe growing up someplace else is my problem), there were home displays that had cars lining up around the block to drive by and see! People built winter wonderlands in their front yards! They had more lights than I could count, they sold hot chocolate and cider on the sidewalk, they had music playing, and they actually wanted their decorating to be a gift to the neighborhood and a chance to interact!

Not so here and now.

It's all about eliminating effort, and it started with the "icecicle lights," prestrung dangling icecicles that were cool the first year they came out. Now there on every house. With these silly inflatables, you can bet that a thousand people in town have the exact same effortless display in their yards. Creativity is dead.

Part of the Christmas experience is getting ready for it. If it takes you a week to complete your outdoor Christmas decorating, that's a week of thinking about the season and really getting pumped for what it means to you. So when I drive by your inflatable Santa on a motorcycle, I can prety much tell what it means to you without much thought.

PLEASE, if you have not yet put an inflatable decoration in your yard, DON'T. And if you have, at least mow your lawn and throw some lights on a bush or something.

Coming soon for your year-round front yard display: The inflatable rusted El Camino on cinder blocks. Inflatable empty beer cans and inflatable overgrown grass sold seperately.

Holiday Recipes

What is your favorite Holiday food... you know, that incredibly delicious dish your grandma used to make, or your favorite home made dessert, or whatever. Bonus points if you share the recipe!

I like it all, but I look forward to my aunt Vicki's super awesome banana bread every Christmas. She makes individual loafs for everyone in the family.

She said it

I was driving my daughter home from preschool today and she started talking about how she misses her sister we are adopting from China. She is concerned that she doesn't have a family and might get hurt. I explained that God is protecting her just like he protects us.

"There are two Gods, Dad? Here AND China"

"No, Holly. Just one, but he protects the whole world?"

"Even Lost Vegas?"

I did pause momentarily, but laughed and said "Yes, even Las Vegas."

Thanksgiving Camping

Do you have Thanksgiving traditions outside what might be considered "normal?" My family and I head to the campground at Morro Bay for the entire week of Thanksgiving, joining in on a family reunion in an annual event that has been going on for nearly 40 years. People come from all over California and even Hawaii to get together as family and pretty much take over the state campground at Morro Bay. People ask what we do for Thanksgiving dinner. We do the same thing thing you do! We do the full Thanksgiving spread from the Turkey to the Pumpkin pie, and everything in between, right there in the campground for 30+ people.

I married into this event and the first year, I thought it was odd. Now I wouldn't miss it for the world. Dozens of cousins running around and having the time of their lives, while we "adults" just kick it and relax. Best time of the year!

Crickets

and there goes a tumbleweed through RB.C

it's a ghost town in here!

Christmas Stories

I'm writing a new story for Christmas, and I am wondering what your favorite Christmas stories are and why. One of my favorites (next to the one I am writing now!) is The Tale of the Three Trees. It's much more than a Christmas story, but one I have often heard read at Christmas time, and one that hits with a deep special message.

What are your favorites that you will share with your kids?

SAHD and BC

Thought I would give an update to my online college experience at BC. As a SAHD wanting to go back to school, I determined over the summer that online would be a good thing to check out, and I enrolled at BC for this fall term. I signed up for one class to start, so I could get an idea for how much time and effort it would take, and to just get my feet wet before diving back into the college pool.

My eyes were definitely opened.

My US history class is completely self directed, with absolutely no education coming from the professor. If not for my month long computer troubles, I would have been done with the class except for the midterm and final, several weeks before the midterm was even offered. I'm somewhat pleased with the ease of the class, but somewhat more displeased with the academics of it. Granted, it is the entry level history class, but I was hoping for a little more interaction from the professor. On my midterm, I answered all 36 multiple choice questions correctly, with documentation, but got 170 out of 180 points. I emailed the professor who would not tell me which ones he thought I got wrong. If college is really just a guessing game, what is the point?? So I have to teach myself.

I'm taking three courses online next term. Should be able to handle it with my SAHD duties if they are as silly as this one.

my eyes were also opened to how bad the high school system is. Granted, BC is not the Harvards, Stanfords or any other -rds, but the kids in these online discussions with me were really an embarrassment to the local high school educational product, in both history and writing. Very sad.

So that's my first term review of my adventure back into college. I'm still excited, but a little disappointed.

the vote

I was watching the Kern county vote in comparison to the statewide polls. It confirms that if I want to raise a family in CA (I question it often these days), then this is the place we want to be based on my personal values, because I know a large number of my neighbors agree. But can someone in the farming business explain why most of the valley voted yes on 2? I didn't vote yes, but I guess I can't condemn it, because maybe there is something I really don't get about the impact of either vote. DID the farmers vote yes, or was that everyone NOT on the farm who got it passed? I just don't see these farms, who have been doing it the same way for generations deciding they need to overhaul their farm, their budget, and their whole system. But like I said, maybe I am missing something.

Anybody home?

It's awfully quiet on RB. Where'd everyone go?

Mac or PC?

Give me some help here. I have been a PC owner/defender for years (Dell and HP), but my recent struggles with their service department have me at the end of my rope, so much so that I am actually considering moving to a Mac. Never thought I would even utter those words, but my experiences can no longer allow me to defend the PC without giving the other side it's shot.

What do you own, and would you buy it again, and why?

Facebook?

Is anyone else here on Facebook? A friend connected me there a week ago, and it's not helping my internet addiction... but it is pretty cool. I've found a ton of people I haven't talked with in years, from high school, past jobs, etc.

anyway... I'm there, if anyone wants to find me there

getting closer

we got our fingerprinting done for the adoption paperwork... for the second time, in case we got new fingers since the last time.

It's september which means in a little more than three and a half months it will be 2009, when we can start answering all the "when" questions with "Next year!" (sigh)

We're coming, Ileah

she said...

Daddy, I have a case of the Bless Yous

Culture Shock

So I started riding the bike and pulling the bike trailer on tuesdays and thursdays to get Holly to and from preschool. It's one of my personal battles against buying gas. (Don't worry, Obama, I inflated my bike tires to proper levels for maximum fuel efficiency). It's a five mile one-way ride, and as much as I want to get in shape, I'd rather do ten miles a day then twenty. So I pack my laptop bag and camp out at a nearby park to do some work while Holly is in school.

So today, I am sitting at a park table, when six Indian American grandpas (they may or may not be grandpas, but they were that age) came and sat at my table around me. Umm, awkward. I'm thinking to myself, as I am picturing in my head the 20+ other empty tables in the park, "don't these guys know that in America, we like some elbow room and to be left alone when we are minding our own business?"

Hold the racism speech, I'm redirecting.

So then one of the other voices in my head (don't ask, it's too hard to get an exact count) says, "Maybe that's America's problem. Hmmm?"

These Indian American Grandpas started talking to me.... nothing unusual, just friendly conversation. It occured to me that this is, either formally or informally, a talking bunch that meets here regularly, if not daily or more. And, in very unAmerican fashion, they were being nice and including the strange bald guy in bike shorts who found himself in their neck of the woods. I relaxed and laughed and nodded at what I thought were appropriate places... half the conversation was in Indian. It was a refreshing experience to see people so eager to be kind and inclusive.

So to my Indian American Grandpa buddies, thanks for the culture shock.

And while we're being politically correct, I would like to now be referred to as a Scottish-Irish-English-German-American-by-way-of Canada.

Ehh, I'll just stick with "American." But maybe "Americans" should take notes from everyone else.

Does they really think about it this young?

This was the conversation on the way home from dropping my son off this morning

"Dad?"

"Ya."

"My boobies are getting bigger"

She's 3

What happened to the High Schools?

So I started my online history course at BC this week and I am participating in an online class discussion. I am shocked by how poorly these high school graduates are writing. Grammar must have been a budget cut victim. I can maybe understand kids having trouble with complex grammar, but these kids can't even write conversationally. Several can't even finish a single thought before getting lost... and it was their own thought to begin with! Granted, BC is not the educational destination of the top Kern County high school graduates (no offense BC, I'm proud to be a Renegade), but NOBODY should get out of high school if they can't form a basic sentence. Or if you can't form a sentence, at least throw some words together that address the topic question given.

Wow. That's the only other thing I can say. Wow.

Miss Hollywood's Turn!

This morning was Holly's first day of her last year of pre-school! She was so excited to see her friends again and to be in the "big girl" classroom. She is in Miss Esther's class and already loving it.

This is our fourth year at Ridgeview Christian PreSchool (two with Layton and this is the second with Holly). It's an outstanding preschool if you are looking. It is a part of Ridgeview Christian Church, right across from Ridgeview High on Stine.

1st Day - 1st Grade

Layton is in 1st grade today with Mrs. King at Castle Elementary. Next time we blink, he'll be graduating from high school and then from UCLA. (just kidding, Layton. You can go to whatever school you want... it would just be really hard for me to cheer for SC).

Here are some shots from this morning. We're proud of you, Layton!

Seriously? You have kids and you are still smoking?

C'mon. Really? I don't even need to make the case against it.

I saw a woman smoking in her car today with three kids in the back seat. I don't have the words...

"But Kevin, when I smoke, I go outside so my kids don't have to be exposed to it."

I don't have to make the case against that either.

"But Kevin, I tell my kids that smoking is not good for them."

This case I will make. The most powerful impression you make on your children (and by the way, you don't get to decide... they do) is not a single word that comes out of your mouth. It is your actions.

So when you are telling your kids, in between puffs and silly mouth-contorted smoke blows, that smoking is bad for them... they are definitely learning. They are learning that you don't respect your body, you don't respect them enough to lead them, and if they want to do what is right they need to follow someone else.

BUT THEY WANT TO FOLLOW YOU.

"But Kevin, it is an addiction."

Well, gosh golly geepers, I hope that someday the world will have programs and quitting aids to help you beat the addiction.

Once you have kids, it's not about you.

C'mon. Really?

Congrats to Fairview Elementary!

Jack O'Connell, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is visiting Fairview Elementary today, because they had amazing score improvement on last year's testing. Television news crews will be on hand as he congratulates them on an awesome job. I would like to say that the improvement is entirely because of my amazing wife, Jill, and her 4th and 5th grade students, but I've visited Fairview. The entire staff is amazing! Congratulations to Principal Mike Barella, V.P. Jenea Chance and ALL of the wonderful teachers who put their students first. I'm excited for recognition to be given where it is due!

and good job, Jilly Bean! :-)

RE: kids with email

I set up email accounts for my kids this morning. Holly doesn't really care (she'd rather have a cell phone), but Layton totally digs it. I figured that he is online anyway and in a stage where learning communication skills is huge, so why not? He loves it and is already exchanging emails with grandparents, cousins, aunts, and our children's pastor.... he starts 1st grade next week. Makes me laugh when I think about what we were doing in 1st grade. Gone are the days of burning ants with magnifying glasses and digging holes for the sake of digging holes. It's a different world now. Thanks progress! (I think)

Trampolines!

We're thinking of getting a trampoline for the kids for the backyard? Any recommendations or suggestions or cries of "are you TRYING to go to the ER?"

Take that, Big Oil!

We haven't driven our car in a week, and it feels great! We haven't bought gas yet this month and at the rate we're going we might not need to! Take that Oil Companies. (I'm sure they got the message and are feeling it in the pocket book... well, probably not, but it sure helps mine)

The New site is Up!

Go check it out at www.kevinmorrisonbooks.com. I'd love feedback and suggestions of what you would like to see or expect to see from an author's website. Thanks so much Bakersfield!

Freedom of Religion doesn't mean Religion Free...

... but that is what some people would like the country to be. I read a story about a high school getting sued because they had a public prayer before the kick-off of a football game. I'm tempted to write all of my congressmen and representatives to tell them to get Atheism recognized as a religion, so lawsuits forcing Atheism on a people or institution would be thrown out.

If I am running a school, a business, or ANYTHING outside of my front door, I am going to do it as a complete reflection of me. We all should be allowed to do the same. I mean, if a school DOESN'T have prayer before a game, should I be the one suing? People of faith seem to be pretty tolerant of Atheism, but it doesn't come back the other way.

Nobody is forcing anything on anybody. I take that back. Atheists are.

disclaimer: not all atheists, but even atheists know the ones I am talking about. Just like there are Christians the the rest of us cringe at, there are some who make a bad impression for the whole group.

But seriously. I'm writing my congressmen.