Last Day of April

Hello all,

It has been a great month of April. The rains have finally came and the yard is back to its normal form. I finally was able to mow it tonight. It only took me an hour and a half to get through it all. I'm thinking that I will need to re-seed the area near the hedge in the back yard. I'll let you know how it goes.

-Andy

Rained All Day

Hello all,

The April showers are here for the week. I need to mow my yard tonight, but it is too wet. As I look over the water standing in the back yard, I can only imagine how many bags of grass I will collect. Uh, it is going to take me two hours to get it cut. I also need to trim around the trees. I should get a load of mulch for the flower beds as well. All of this takes time that I do not want to spend on the yard.

-Andy

Royals Lose

Hello all,

Uh... When our family does not sit in their season ticket seats, the Royals lose. It is that simple. We are a perfect 0-3 when we go to a game and do not sit in our assigned seats. However, we are 3-0 when we sit in our seats in section 241. I think the Royals should give us a full season package for free to give the team a strategic advantage!

-Andy

Royals Game

Hello all,

What a cold night at the ballpark! Brrr... 46 degrees is what the radio announced at the time of the first pitch. Bryan Banister pitched a great game of one hit, six innings baseball. The bullpen finished the game for a nice 7-1 Royals victory. Ali and Zac had a great time at the game. Jennifer and I are very happy we gave out family this gift this year. I am looking forward to a lot of great baseball this summer.

-Andy

Confirmation

Hello all,

The confirmation classes are winding down. There are only three more classes left and I am pleased to say that the class has come a long way from where they were in January. They still have six chapters to read in the book of Luke, but there is still time. They had their lock-in at the church over the weekend. I think that put them in the right frame of mind for the final three weeks of class. It is good to see them putting more time into their studies and asking the tough questions of themselves and their parents. You guys make me proud.

-Andy

Good to see you Don

Hello all,

This afternoon I went to see an old friend of mine, Don Dayton. I was introduced to Don by another friend, Bob Gold, back in 2001 when I was looking for someone to build a set of golf clubs to fit my height. Needless to say it had been a few years since I have seen Don until today. We picked up right where we left off. Keep playing golf Don. It will keep you young at heart.

-Andy

Happy Birthday Danna!

Hello all,

Happy Birthday to my sister Danna! Congratulations on getting another year wiser Danna. Have a great day! I hope that you have a chance to get outside today and enjoy the perfect weather! The sky is bright blue today in Kansas City. If I could wrap today up in a box and send it to you, I would. It is just a perfect Spring day in the Midwest.

-Andy

Perfect Timing

Hello all,

I knew that mowing the yard was a wise decision yesterday! It rained today. It is suppose to rain tomorrow as well. I should be good for at least a few more days before it will need to be cut again.

-Andy

Mowed the Yard

Hello all,

Tonight I thought that I would mow the yard and get ahead of the grass for a change. It only took me an hour and twenty minutes to get through over it all. The yard looks good again and I'm pleased. I think I will enjoy a nice glass of ice water on the deck to celebrate my accomplishment!

-Andy

Ali's Music Program

Hello all,

Tonight our family was treated to a wonderful 2nd Grade Music program. Alexandria played one of six xylophones for one verse of a class song. They all did great, and I loved the smile on Ali's face while she struck the keys and kept time in her head. Boo, we could all see how much you have improved this year! Great Job!

After the performance, we headed to 54th Street for dinner to celebrate Ali's hard work. Zac had a grilled cheese while Ali had the kids sirloin with chips and salsa. Before we knew it, the night had caught up with us and it was time to hustle home for bed!

-Andy

Soccer Practice

Hello all,

Wow! The wind was really whipping at the soccer fields tonight! I thought that Zac was going to be blown back to the car a couple of times! The wind can REALLY get strong as it crosses the fields!

-Andy

Lazy Night at Home

Hello all,

Have you ever had one of those nights when you didn't want to do much of anything but play with your kids? Well that was tonight. Jen and Ali went to bowling around six. Zac and I played Mario Cart on the Wii until 6:30 and then ate some pancakes. I changed the laundry while he played a little bit more, but I soon returned to the Wii. Zac is becoming so much more expressive now. He talks more and his vocabulary has expanded greatly since school he started Kindergarten last Fall. We were having so much fun, I forgot all about having him clean his room. I forgot about him reading his book for class. I basically forgot about everything except having fun with Zac. When Jennifer called and let me know that she was on her way home, I realized that we had been playing for over two hours! The playing had to come to an end. It was time to head upstairs and get changed into PJ's.

It was a great night of doing nothing and just being in the moment.

-Andy

Life is Good

Hello all,

What a great afternoon. Diane took the kids to her house and Jennifer and I watched the movie Seven Pounds with Will Smith. It was not the typical movie for us. Jennifer cried at the ending and I was shocked at the sacrifice he made. If you have not seen it, you really should give it a rent. It is worth it.

-Andy

Driving Range

Hello all,

Today was a great day for Zac and I. We had our first trip to the driving range as father and son. I sat golf balls on the tee for him to hit while he smacked them 30 yards into the grass. He got a little frustrated at times, but all in all he did a great job tonight. We are looking forward to doing it again very soon!

-Andy

Friday

Hello all,

You know it is a good day when you get out of work on time and the traffic is light on your drive home. I would have been living in a dream if I would have walked into the house to see a set of beef fillets in the refrigerator and the yard already mowed! Oh well, we all had fun tonight anyway. The Royals won their game easily and are now looking to go on a roll. GO ROYALS!!

-Andy

Zac's Finger

Hello all,

My son Zac had a hang nail. He then chewed on it to make it go away. He then chewed on it some more which made it hurt. Now it is infected. I had him soak it in Epson salt last night and put a bandage on it. It is not looking very good. I think a trip to Gashland Clinic is in our future.

-Andy

Tax Day

Hello all,

Yes, Tax Day has come again. Yippe... I wish I could have attended the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) Party at the Liberty Memorial today. I would have enjoyed seeing how many people think that the government is spending too much of our money on stupid stuff.

-Andy

Tooth Ache

Hello all,

I'm in pain today. I had to go back to Dr. Bush today and have the filling, that he put in last week, smoothed out on the top. Once the bump was removed, relief soon followed. Ahhh.. Eating will no longer be torture.

-Andy

Monday

Hello all,

Raining... Raining... Raining... It has been raining since late last night and the yard and trees are starting to wake up again. I checked Dad's tree and sure enough the leaves are starting to come out. The trees in the back yard will start to leaf out soon. We have two birds living in Nana's bird house again this year. I'm looking forward to our second bird house from Nana's workshop. We will put that one by the deck.

-Andy

Happy Easter

Hello all,

Easter is hear and so is the rain! The Easter Bunny left two baskets full of goodies for the kids. The kids found chocolates and gum hidden in eggs in the house. It was a lot of fun to see them run around and look for the goodies.

We went to the Royals game this afternoon and watched Gill Meche pitch a great game. He did not get the win, but the Royals did manage to win 6-4 over the NY Yankees. I don't think tomorrow's game will be played due to the rain.

It's late and Jennifer is looking at me to put the computer down.

-Andy

Easter Egg Hunt

Hello all,

Saturday was a quick day for the Scott family. This morning we went to bowling. We have two more weeks of that before it is over. We then headed to Karisma's house for an Easter Egg Hunt! There were 5,000 eggs hidden over 10 acres. It has rained this week so the course was a little muddy. Ali and Zac found plenty of eggs for sure and plenty of mud. Zac walked right into a trap. Someone had placed eggs on top of leaves that were floating in a mud puddle. Zac just walked right into it. He looked at me with a puzzled look and then calmly picked up the eggs off of the leaves. He was now soaked halfway up his shin. Zac was determined to get more than his sister so wiped off his hands on his pants and started to run. He soon had a bag full of eggs that contained stickers and lick on tattoos.

Ali made a haul herself. She was more suspicious of the course so she made sure to stay with the main pack of kids until they got to the hill. It was there that she used her long legs to ascend the hill and put some space between herself and the rest of the field. In the end, she was almost as muddy as Zac. She managed to stay out of the puddles, but still managed to get her shoes covered.

I didn't get the yard mowed due to the Masters being on TV. It was more fun to watch guys play golf than to go out and mow. I hope to get to it early next week.

-Andy

OPENING DAY

Hello all,

What a great day for a ball game! What a great day to be out with the family! There is just something special about opening day at a Major League stadium. I think it is the feeling that "this could be the year!". It could be the smiles on the kids faces. I think it is the smell of the ballpark food that is TERRIBLE for you, but still tastes great. When we got to the stadium the wind was really blowing hard. The new construction has added a lot for the look and feel of the stadium, but it has not changed the fact that the wind really swirls around inside the seating bowl. This gave me an opportunity to go to the apparel store and get this years Royals sweatshirts. It is a tradition that Jen and I started a few years ago with the kids. We get them something that they want to wear to the game. The year we all got sweatshirts. We looked great in our new duds!

The game was a close one, but the Royals lost to the Yankees. We headed home and talked about the game. Both kids were in great moods. It was just what Jen and I had hoped. We have 20 more games this year. I hope that each game is as fun as this one has been.

-Andy

Dentist

Hello all,

This morning I had a filling removed and replaced with a new one. It is a sign that I'm getting older. I think these were put in by Dr. Jackson in Red Oak sometime in the 80's. I think it will take me years to get all of the old silver fillings replaced with the new type of material.

I regained feeling in my right side of my face around 1:00 today. It was a challenge to eat lunch. I was worried that I would bite my tongue or cheek and would not feel it. Now that feeling has returned, I am pleased to report, I have successfully managed to not hurt myself.

-Andy

BP in the Yard

Hello all,

Tonight Zac and I had our first round of batting practice in the back yard. He can really hit the ball. He can hit both right and left handed. I am in awe at how well he can elevate the ball and drive it over my head. It is a plastic wiffle ball, but he can still line it to the back of the yard. After fifteen minutes of BP, it was time to retire to the swings and giggle and be a six year old again. Time for stardom will come, but for now he is still my six year old boy. I hope that he continues to enjoy baseball as much as his Grandpa Scott.

Your grandson is quite the hitter Dad. I hope you enjoy watching him as much as I do.

-Andy

Worn Out

Hello all,

I am worn out tonight. I left work at 4:30 and went to pick Ali up for soccer. Vanna's battery was dead on her phone so she could not call me to let me know that she would meet me at my house. That made Ali late for soccer by 10 minutes. Oh well, it is only ten minutes. After practice was over, Ali and I went to the grocery store for stuff to make dinner. We got home at 7:20. Finally home. I started making dinner while Ali started her homework. We ate dinner at 7:50.

I hate Tuesday night.

Good-night,

-Andy

Long Drive Home

Hello all,

I'm very tired after a long drive home this morning. I drove with the windshield wipers on the whole way home. I went through rain, sleet and snow. The only thing I didn't go through was hail. The wind was very strong out of the East. That made for a difficult drive at times. I was happy to see the garage doors open and turn my car off.

-Andy

Grandma Scott Turned 93

Hello all,

After Zac's soccer game (we froze) Zac and I headed up to Iowa to attend my Gramda Scott's 93rd birthday party at the Malvern Fire Station. Zac was not scheduled to come with me, but when I asked him if he wanted to go, he said sure. He wanted to see Dade, Maddie and Brooke. So off we headed to Iowa. He fell asleep between St. Joe and Craig. It was a struggle to stay awake. Have you ever tried to drive when someone is snoring in the back seat? The long, deep rhythmic breathing will lull even the most determined driver into a trance. It was twice as hard with the chorus of the wiper blades clearing the windshield ever 2 seconds. I was relieved to exit in Hamburg and get off of I-29. I was almost to my destination.

The party was well attended. I enjoyed my conversation with my cousins Rod and Renea. We picked up right where we left off the last time we were together. It is nice to know you can always go home and be accepted again.

This evening Mom and I went up to Papillon to eat dinner with Nic and Danna's family. Zac went ahead with Nic to get a bath. He had a little too much fun playing on the fire trucks and was covered in dirt.
Dinner was great. Zac ate all of his grilled cheese sandwich and I enjoyed my pork tenderloin. Before dinner, I was able to win 2 of 3 games of darts. I think Kevin was taking it easy on me.

After dinner, Zac, mom and I headed back to Tabor to watch the final scenes of The Wizard Of Oz at Fremont-Mills. I had a chance to see some of my classmates. Many of them have not changed much in 10 years. It was good to see you Trent and Alex.

It is time for bed now. The weatherman is calling for a bunch of snow for tomorrow. It should be a long day.

-Andy

IT'S FRIDAY

Hello all,

Welcome to another wonderful entry in the Scott Family Journal! It is finally Friday. Do you know what that means? It means I do not need to get up at the crack of dawn to get to work. I get to sleep in an hour later and refresh. I get to lazily roll out of bed at 7:30 and enjoy my breakfast with Zachary while the girls continue to sleep. Ahhh... tomorrow is going to be a wonderful morning.

Today was not as bad as I would have thought. I completed my upgrade of Vision for the EcommCore 5.5 upgrade. Now it is time to run the test case to validate the various paths through the code. In short the easy part is over. Now comes the hard part.

-Andy

Pizza Night

Hello all,

It has been a day! I did not want to cook so I ordered Papa Johns to save the day. I was given a new task today. I am responsible for upgrading the Vision code to EcommCore 5.5. Right now it looks like it will be about 7 Java classes will need to be updated to make all of the red 'X' go away in my repository. Yippee..

-Andy

April Fools

Hello all,

Did anyone get fooled today? My friend Jason Tarwarter tried to fool a lot of us by posting on his Facebook that he broke his arm and can't type. I almost believed him until many of my friends started asking questions about "how" it happened. Did it happen at work? Were you on assignment? Finally the joke was on us. He is fine. Nice job Jason. Just remember that paybacks are not always as pleasant as you would hope.

On a more enjoyable note, the family went downtown tonight to see Disney on Ice at Kemper Arena. It was a lot of fun to see Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy again. I don't recall exactly, but when I was very young, my parents drove us up to see an show in my dad's orange pick-up truck. The weather was horrible. I remember sitting on mom's lap while Danna and Nic sat between mom and dad. Can anyone shed some light on this story for me?

-Andy