Scott's Thoughts

I have got admit that I have been waiting for Scott's next blog with great anticipation. The last one, complete with spittle in route, was almost more mirth than I could handle. The follow-up blog was no less side-splitting, with the tears only just drying as I write. Truth of the matter is, Scott's blogs are pretty comforting. I know that I can count on them for something good each time he writes. And, since he is filling that important role, I can simply splash a stream of consciousness down here and call it good.

Yesterday, I took the three oldest to the Spring Valley to soak a few works and have some fun. I would highly recommend that anyone who has these plans make a good friend like George. Having three kids all fishing at the same time is as much as I can handle and having him around for encouragement was great. All the kids caught several fish each, and Em and Ry have both figured out how to cast. Rachel is another story. Her casts consisted of a pole flying forward with the bobber landing on the dock behind her. She could not figure out why that kept happening but was sure that if she practiced enough if would finally work. I was not disappointed when her hook broke off and so at least I was not digging out any hooks. Let me say that there were several near misses on all accounts, but no serious injuries in the end.

Just in time for our trip to Sun Valley to see Migel, gas is pulling some double digit gains. Not that I am that worried about it, but it just seems like someone is taking in some serious profits. I am sure it is all down to George W. somehow, either perceived or real, so just need that guy who told me all about it in the taxi to give me all the details again.

Post Season Pain

The excitement and pain all left in an exhilarating, if frustrating, game a couple of weeks back. I took the only antidote I could and left for a few days to Hawaii so as not to see any of the news reports. It helped a lot. I didn't have to relive many of the what-ifs that invariably come up at work on Monday morning, and I could lose myself in a different kind of pain: listening to how many otherwise reputable scientist abuse and misuse our instrumentation to do supposed science.

I was at a 2 day conference in Waikiki on soil moisture, which mostly turned into a gripe session where the scientists tried to be forward thinking by ripping all types of probes on the market, demanding lower prices and better performance and generally suggesting industry sits around and grows fat off a lot of bad stuff. It was exhausting, in a word, and I was happy to return home to get back to some real work. Still, one day on a field trip got me a decent sunburn on my face, enough to have my workmates suggest I was enjoying a day on the beach instead of the meetings. I should have, it would have done me more good.

Another item high on the list of painful experiences was Emily and my visit over to the State Destination Imagination convention yesterday in Wenatchee. A school full of K-12th graders along with family entourages is not my favorite enviroment. Combine that with having to wait hours for anything to happen (i.e. performance, awards cerimony, etc.) makes it a very long day. Luckly, I was prepared and had brought a good book, the cell phone to listen to conference, and a map to the nearest Costco (1.5 mi. away). Although the day was painful, the ride over and back with Emily was completely the opposite. We had a lot of fun talking about lots of different stuff including why her team happened to take last place. This was particularly hard for her to deal with, but I think she is using it constructively.

Well, that's all for now. Keep up the posting.