This is just NOT FAIR!

Opening day at Wrigley Field. Carlos Zambrano on the mound for the Cubs and Ben Sheets for the Brewers. Since I worked during the day, we TiVoed the game and, without checking Internet or radio, watched the game starting at about 6:30pm. Chicago style hot dogs, beer and the Cubs -- what could be better.

The game is delayed by rain. Fortunately with the TiVo we can move ahead past all the fluff until the game begins. We go into the 8th inning a scoreless tie. Zambrano leaves as does Sheets. Kerry Wood comes in to keep it close, but gives up three runs in the top of the ninth. At just this time TiVo decides that the game has ended and the recording stops. I panic. Certainly the Cubs cannot surmount a three run deficit in the ninth inning. So I head downstairs to the office to check the score online knowing that the game has long since ended. Well...

The Cubs rally in the ninth with a Kosuke Fukudome Home Run and tie the score... but fail to hold it in the tenth and loose 4-3. This is NOT FAIR!

This is just NOT F

Athletic Endeavors

The Bowman / Dixon kids were active in athletic endeavors this weekend and last, as the following photos show. David ran the ING Georgia Half Marathon on Sunday, finishing the 13.1 miles in 1 hour and 34 minutes. Weather was very cold and very damp, which didn't seem to bother him much but chilled his Mother to the bone. Brrr... The attached photo is of David (in the red shorts) and his good friend Pete just before they crossed the finish line. MacKenzie was on an overnight field trip to Chattanooga this weekend, so her soccer game was moved to Sunday. The attached photo, however, is from last weekend's soccer game.

Final Four

The Final Four... exciting, isn't it? This year, we made history by sending four #1 seeds to the Final Four, which has never happened in the NCAA tournament. We almost made history in an entirely different way, with Davidson (a #10 seed) nearly beating Kansas. The standings for the Sandhills Gazette pool are as follows, listed in declining order based on points.

Participant Score
MacKenzie 98
Justin 96
Barb 87
Denis 87
Mary D 85
Anne 82
David - 1 81
Jerry 79
Alison 76
David - 2 71
Mike 71
Mary P 62
Austin 57
JoAnne 23

Party Time!

What better way could there be to spend an entire Saturday than at a Democratic Party? That is exactly what I did yesterday as an Obama Delegate to the Texas Senate District Democratic Convention for Senate District 61 (a.k.a., the Fighting 61st). With Alison as the Precinct Chair for the 1223 Precinct, I was nominated four weeks ago at the precinct convention, held right after the caucus, to be one of 15 delegates to the Senate District Convention. Given the continued excitement with the primary race, the convention was quite well attended.

Arriving with Alison at the SMU's Moody Coliseum (where their basketball games are played) at just after 9:00am, thousands of delegates and alternates were grouped together by precinct outside the arena. Alison suggested that I was dressed inappropriatly in my jeans and Hawiian shirt. "You're not suggesting that I should wear a suit are you?" "Of course not," she replied, "but something red white and blue with political buttons and blinky things would have been the uniform of a true blue delegate." I looked around and sure enough, buttons stating "You bet your..." "...I'm a Democrat" and "Friends don't let friends vote Republican" were pinned onto red white and blue suspenders all over. One Obama delegation even had printed name tags where all claimed a middle name of "Hussein".

Because of the tremendous turnout, and because of the disorganized nature of the Democrats, it was almost noon before everyone was seated inside and the business of the convention began. It started with rousing speech by an elected official, climaxing with the statement that "...one person is responsible for the tremendous surge in the Democratic party -- that person is George W. Bush." Cheers and applause... then quiet. The speaker continued. "Some of you may have heard of my recent arrest for public lewdness." The crowd is almost silent. "I want to assure you that I was just in the wrong place with the wrong intentions." Now this presents an interesting problem. This is the Democratic party that proclaims to welcome you regardless of race, sex, religion or sexual orientation. But it is also Texas. There was a smattering of applause, and some cat calls occasionally referrencing Larry Craig. But the show must go on and the parade of little known pols came up to give campaign speechs. When one of the pols endorsed either Clinton or Obama the factions supporting that candidate would chant "Hil- la- ry, Hil- la- ry..." or "Yes we can, Yes we can..." It was like being at a sporting event. I decided that it was important to model a chantable slogan of three sylables and told Alison that is why we gave her a three sylable name.

Alison and I left for lunch and she headed home, having fulfilled her obligations. I returned for the actual voting. When I arrived the floor battle had just begun. The credentials committee had reviewed and reported on the numerous complaints filed by the faithful foot soldiers of each candidate. Improper voting, irregular seating of delegates, etc. Imagine an arena filled with perhaps ten thousand people argueing over arcane points of order which hid more significant jockeying for a very slight advantage. The sport had turned to a blood sport. Alison, a veteran of these events told me to expect this. It is OK, she said, for people to shout out while someone is speaking. It is OK for cheerleaders on the floor to coax their delegations into cheering or booing a proposal or a vote. But the bickering ended almost as abruptly as it had started and the precincts submitted their final votes and elected their delegates to the State convention. Despite giving an impassioned speech to be sent to the State convention, I withdrew my nomination in favor of another more sincere Democrat.

All in all I had a blast. I can see how party regulars are created and nurtured. It is easy for candidates to rouse the political base when that is who they are surrounded by. It is harder to govern. I think that this year we have three truly interesting and credible candidates and I am hoping for an interesting and spirited general election.

Doings at Belle Meade

Ralph had a good round of golf on Friday and contributed to his team's winning — each team member receiving $3.00 —WOW!

On Saturday JoAnne and Ralph went to Raleigh to see the stage play The Wedding Singer. It was quite good and there was some amazing dancing. 

Birthday Greetings

Happy 26th birthday to Wesley on Sunday the 30th!

Happy 44th birthday to Carol Taylor on Monday the 31st!

Elite Eight Entry

We're down to eight teams in the NCAA tournament, and after tomorrow, we'll be down to four -- the Final Four! At this point, Justin is still in the lead with 72 points. Perhaps next year we should ask him to complete an application for participation in the Gazette tournament -- much like his dogs have to do to attend daycare... MacKenzie is close behind with 66 points, thanks to Mocha's good picks! Denis and Barb are tied for third with 63 points. As we all know, though, this can easily change -- and the points award for correct picks in the later rounds are much higher, so the balance is likely to tip before this tournament is over!

Doggy Daycare

For almost two years now, Dylan and Izzy have been staying at Amity Woods Animal Lodge while mom and dad are out of town. As far as Anne and Justin can tell, the dogs love going to camp - 3 walks a day, a luxury suite with sheepskin sleeping pad, lots of furry friends to play with, treat time - clearly way more fun than being at home!

One of the best parts of camp is doggy daycare: a supervised play area where the campers can frolick freely outside of their suites. Both dogs (and especially Dylan) are daycare veterans - so Anne was surprised when, upon calling Amity Woods this week to make a reservation, she was told that Dylan and Izzy would need to formally "apply" for admission to daycare.

We can only speculate as to the events that may have prompted the new policy, but one look at the ten-page application (yes, TEN pages...per dog) and it was clear that this was serious business.

"Does your dog eat foreign objects? If yes, please comment."

Foreign objects? What dog hasn't eaten foreign objects?! Do they want all the disgusting details of the last time Dylan dug up a rabbits' nest? Are rabbits even considered foreign objects? Is this a trick question?

And that was just the beginning. Many equally ambiguous questions later (each with a "please explain/please comment" requirement) and Anne started to seriously doubt that Dylan and Izzy would ever see the light of daycare again. But what's done is done: the applications have been submitted and all we can do is wait for the final decision. Anne and Justin are hoping that the 15-minute "interview" portion of the application will help seal the deal. Surely Dylan's sparkling personality will make up for his shortcomings on paper.

Barry

OK, so whatever one might think about Barry Manilow, his music is ingrained in so many aspects of our lives.  Norman and I went to see him in concert last night and I was NOT looking forward to it, but I loved it!  He was a bit before my time, but why did I know every word to every song that he sang?  His music is such a part of our lives, albeit somewhere in the background.  How can anyone not understand "Now when I look out through your eyes, I am young again, even though I'm very old".  Music does take us back to a particular moment in time.  Thanks, Norman, to being man enough to admit to how much you like Barry!  (Shania, too!)

The Voice of Piper Glen

The Pontii are now the proud and poor owners of two houses, having closed on 308 Shade Tree Circle in Woodstock, GA on Monday, March 24th. Painters were hired to repaint the entire house with a more durable satin finish than the original contractors' cheap/flat paint. Window tinting will be done today the 28th. Shutters should be installed the end of April as will the granite for the great room built-ins. Last Tuesday was an eventful day. Appliances were delivered and hooked-up, lighting fixtures were installed, measurements were taken for both the tint material and the shutters, built-ins were installed, the decorator visited, the ADT rep. showed up and Mary and Jerry did a lot of cleaning up.
Showings for the Charlotte house have been roughly once a week, but still no offers.
Stay tuned.

Spring Break in La Jolla!

So I am finally back in the swing of things in Oxford, OH after a relaxing week on the beaches of San Diego! One of my roommates Katie lives in La Jolla and invited me and 4 of the other girls I will be living with next year to stay with her over spring break. The weather was beautiful the entire time and despite a couple of painful sunburns I came back with a nice tan. But really, we did much more than lay on the beach all day (even though it was tempting!) One day we rented kayaks which we took near some coves and uncomfortably close to a herd of seals. Another day we went to the world famous San Diego Zoo. Well, almost all of us (Katie had been to the zoo hundreds of times and decided to go to the mall instead!) We spent around 3 hours there and were happy to rest our feet when we got back! Jamie also came and I was able to meet his brother and stay with them a couple of times.

In the end I really started to get used to the whole california lifestyle and who knows, maybe one day I will return to my roots!

Even though its hard to accept this 40 degree, unpredictable weather that is Ohio, its good to be back!

[on the right is a picture of the girls on the trip. From the left: Maura, Kelly, Katie, Me, and Ashleigh (she was my freshman roommate) I will be living with all of these girls next year plus two more! 1 1/2 bathrooms should be interesting....]

Only In New York!!

http://pictures.aol.com/ap/singleImage.do?pid=cc60torZ7j2Uls1c5cJ0pfu1wZU70xr0Rxvt

March Madness

If we're going to get "mad," let's get mad at teams like Duke and Georgetown, who upset many of our pools! At the end of Round 2, Kansas fan Justin is still in the lead, but MacKenzie (who claims Mocha filled out her bracket while she was on a field trip) is close behind. Be sure to look at the possible points, though, and you'll see that other competitors may make a late in the tournament move to the top. Below our the scores for the entire Gazette readership.

Total
Participant Score

Alison 40
Anne 38
Austin 33
Barb 43
David - 1 41
David - 2 43
Denis 43
Jerry 43
JoAnne 11
Justin 48
MacKenzie 46
Mary D 37
Mary P 38
Mike 39

Chocolate Bunnies

Sweet, and they have a sense of humor, too!

Happy Easter to All!

I am actually at the office finishing up an issue but anticipating a fabulous brunch with Norman, Mom and Dad at Belle Meade this afternoon!  I must say that I do miss the days of coloring and hiding eggs, filling baskets with chocolate bunnies and Peeps, and girls all dressed up in their pretty dresses.  But these pictures have to bring on a smile (as does our gorgeous weather!)

NCAA Pool Round 1

After Round 1, Justin is the leader in the annual Sandhills Gazette NCAA basketball pool. He had 26 correct picks (out of a possible 32), but both Barb and David are not far behind. Watch out, Justin! Attached, in alphabetical order, are the scores so far.

Alison: 20
Anne: 22
Austin: 21
Barb: 25
David – 1: 23
David – 2: 25
Denis: 23
Jerry: 23
JoAnne: 7
Justin: 26
MacKenzie: 24
Mary D: 21
Mary P: 22
Mike: 23

Lots more basketball to come today and tomorrow. We'll post the standings after Sunday's games.

Two Weeks In

Well its been two weeks now on the new job and one week commuting in my classy new TT. I even got a toll tag so that I can fly through the toll booths -- that is cool! I'm finding it much easier to adjust to the new job than I thought possible. I've had a couple of projects and work with a team of two other Architects. The application we are responsible for is a massive workflow management system that has to be configurable for different state laws and policies. This is something I know quite a bit about having to deal with all fifty states and several European countries in my past life. Today (Saturday) it is back to work on the front garage/office space. I am finishing up the new staircase and a built in bookcase.

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Ralph's Callaway square headed driver is still performing admirably. He played yesterday and didn't hit a bad drive. Now, if he could only get the rest of his clubs to perform as well.

Also yesterday, a new garage door was installed on the Grinter cottage. Apparently the former resident tried to back out with the garage door closed — there has always been a bulge in the door — and it finally gave up the ghost. The beauty of living here is that it didn't cost a cent.

Today Ralph is going to Best Buy to get new telephones. Their 18 year old phones are starting to get a little flaky.

MY BOYS

My boys, the Boston Celtics, are having their best year by far. They are the only NBA team to make the playoffs so far; they have the very best record in the league; they are the very best defensive team in the league; they just snapped Houston's 22 game winning streak in Houston; and they make me very happy indeed.

Happy Birthday, Mary Thompson!

It seems like only yesterday that Mary exploded onto this earth!  It seems like yesterday that this little mess of a tomboy would joyfully tackle the world head on in her untied bball shoes, uncombed hair and MC Hammer cords.  Mary is 23 today.  Yippee!  All grown up (?) in high heels and dresses.  Happy Birthday, Mary Sunshine!

March Madness

Just a reminder to get your picks in by noon today... Also, I'd like to clarify -- for the Sandhills Gazette pool only -- that if you've entered multiple brackets under one name, we'll count them all. They won't be counted in the same way in the Yahoo pool, but we'll count them. For example, I entered a bracket for both Austin and MacKenzie under my name, and they appear as not associated with any group. I may have to track them separately (although I'm not entirely sure about this!), but we'll count all brackets entered. Keep in mind, though, that as in past years, each bracket submitted will cost you $5. Money will be exchanged later, of course...

Grass

Well, I was interested to read Anne's article and their future efforts to reinvigorate their lawn.  Norman and I are doing the same thing.  It doesn't seem to be as easy as going to Lowe's, buying a bag of seed, and sprinkling it all about, however.  First, here in the dry south, one needs irrigation.  Then, what kind of grass?  Fescue? Zoysia? Bermuda? Centipede? And, when to plant?  Naturally, the irrigation is the first step.  We have "uncovered" an antiquated system in the front yard (a story in itself!), but have nothing in the back.  OK, step one.  Now, a $15,000 estimate to lay sod has suddenly made us VERY patient.  We will wait the 1-3 years for our centipede seed to fill in.  But, after much research we have found that we need a couple of months of lyme on the yard before laying the seed (which shouldn't be put down until June).  I guess Step Two.  We are told that by August we should see a few delicate sprouts emerging and by next summer things should be looking pretty good.  I think we need our martini pool to see us through process!

Home Improvement

Watching the developments in the housing market and realizing that our stay in Prairie Village is likely to be longer than originally anticipated, Justin and I have decided to take the plunge and do some much-needed home improvement.

Justin has taken it upon himself to revive the backyard - which, thanks to Izzy and Dylan's attempts to scavenge for food in China, now resembles an interesting combination of a swamp and a minefield. The pictures were really too sad to even post here. Ultimately, this means that Izzy and Dylan must now spend their summer confined to the patio portion of the back yard, thanks to a very attractive mesh fence that Justin will soon be installing around the perimeter of the lawn (much to my dismay). At least he managed to find fencing that was not neon orange. And before any readers feel bad for Izzy and Dylan, remember: their pool and lounge chairs will still be accessible from the patio!

The second project will be a renovation (and hopefully, expansion) of the one and only full bathroom in the house. Those of you who have visited the Richter household probably recall the trippy turquoise art deco tiling that currently covers all the walls and floor of the bathroom - in a large space, this could be pretty neat...but in the 3x5 room it's a bit too much. We're hoping some lighter, more neutral colors will make the tiny space seem bigger.

The interesting part of this whole thing will be figuring out how long we can go without access to our only shower...losing the kitchen sink for a week was bad enough! Gracie, my goal is to have all of this over and done with by the time you move in!!

My Newest Passion

Justin has his 4-Runner, Norman has his Z-4, Karen has her 335xi, but I now have my Audi TT Quattro Roadster! A dark grey beauty with baseball glove leather stitched interior and only 55K miles on the seven year old frame. It has a twin-turbo 225 hp 1.8 litre four cylinder engine. I love it. Now I have a Vespa and a 1988 BMW for sale. Anyone interested?

At the O'Finegold's

I will be spending the week (for the MOST part) working on Brushware (stats today, specifically).  I do have my first WGA match on Wednesday morning, so I hope to get out late tomorrow afternoon for a bit o'warm-up.  We are cooking up a corned beef and some cabbage for dinner tonight, and I am wearing my funky Diane Keaton tinted green glasses in honor of "the day"  Words of advice to Mary - STAY OFF THE STREETS!!!!!

Grace is on Spring Break hopefully enjoying some warm spring weather in San Diego.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy 23rd birthday to Mary Thompson on Thursday, the 20th! GO MARY!

Ah, the luck of the Irish

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, JoAnne and Ralph had lunch at Dugan's Pub in the heart of Pinehurst. JoAnne had corned beef and cabbage and Ralph had fish and chips along with a Guinness Stout. What with the Erin Go Braugh Party tonight, it's going to be a very Irish day.

Tornados, Hoops, And A Medal, Too!

As most of you know, Atlanta had a doozy of a storm on Friday night, and it continued into Saturday. The SEC basketball tournament was going on in the Georgia Dome downtown, which is right next to the CNN Center and Centennial Olympic Park, where many of the Olympic activities took place in 1996. A tornado hit the Dome, Philips Arena (where a Hawks game was also taking place), CNN, and other buildings -- the first recorded tornado in downtown Atlanta ever! Roofs were torn off, windows knocked out, and street lamps uprooted -- a real mess.

The rain and tornados continued on Saturday, but fortunately we were in a band of non-tornados. There were storm lines both north and south of where we live -- in fact, they called it a "train line," because on radar it literally looks like a series of storms all lined up. Austin and MacKenzie were both schedule to have soccer games, and these were cancelled. We dropped Austin at the middle school to attend a track meet, but he called an hour later, and that had also been cancelled.

Denis and I went in search of bathroom ideas, with plans to gut and renovate the master bath, which as noted in past blogs, drips into the kitchen from time to time. Great success in the search, so perhaps the tornado and related cancellations had some benefit for us... We then spent time flipping back and forth between basketball and the weather reports, relieved that it wasn't taking place on our street.

While the rest of us were watching the weather reports on Menlo Way Saturday, David was running a track meet. He promised me that he'd call to let me know what time he was running, and I kept checking my phone for text messages. When he came home around 6 pm, he was wearing a 2nd place medal over his left ear (as only David can do!). He came in 2nd in the 2 mile race -- congrats!

Newspaper Boy

David is soon to be a local paperboy! By that I mean that he's been asked to be on the staff of the Lakeside Legend, the high school newspaper, starting next school year. Congrats, David, on this accomplishment!