A Kid's Eye View

Life is different when viewed through the eyes of a child. I was getting ready to run several errands today and wasn't particularly excited to be doing them when Wyatt and Griffin insisted on coming along. It struck me how excited they were to be going out to run errands with their dad. Then I got to thinking what the day was to the boys instead of what it was to me.


We started out with a long drive on the interstate. While I was dodging the FOPs Wyatt and Griffin watched a Tom & Jerry DVD in the back. The first stop was at the P.O. Box. The boys each get a piece of candy from the bowl there. The next stop was at the barber. When they were done they were each allowed to choose one piece of candy from a bucket. Griffin took a lollypop while Wyatt chose a piece of gum. After that we went to the bank. Our banker always has a basket of chocolates on the desk. The boys each had one on the way in and one on the way out! Since it was getting to be lunchtime we stopped at one of my favorite restaurants, The Table. The boys dined on corndogs and "big french fries" (actually fried yucca) followed by a huge slice of chocolate cake. The next stop was at Target where the guys picked out a few new action figures. Then we drove home while they watched the rest of Tom & Jerry.


So basically from my point of view I was driving, getting a haircut, picking up mail, banking and buying some dish detergent and driving again. From Wyatt and Griffin's point of view they watched a cartoon, ate some candies, ate some more candies, ate corndogs & french fries & chocolate cake at a resaurant, got some new toys and then watched another cartoon. All while hanging out with dad.


Btw... the boys are extremely well behaved in public. They are fine young men while dining at a nice place. After all of the candy and cake today they did give me an interesting pose for the camera though. They could not help but let a little of the energy out!

E-Ticket

Click the pic for an e-ride with Mr. X
There are a lot of ways to have fun in a car. Now that I am no longer a teen all of them revolve around driving. I enjoy getting together with some friends or a car club and renting out a road course to play around on for a day or two. I also occasionally go to the drag strip to feel the raw power of the car. The easiest and most convenient way to get out and refine your driving skills is at an autocross.

An autocross is a timed event where drivers take turns running through a track defined by cones. You are competing against the other drivers to see who can get through the course the fastest. Smooth wins out over brute force everytime. It is more a test of the driver's skills than drag racing.

Choose a link below for a virtual ride with Mr. X at his last autocross.
Full Version - Recommended
Small Screen 2 MB Version for slower Net Connections

"Lost" is Found

Wyatt and Griffin are certain that the island behind our house is the same one that the crash survivors live on in "Lost". They were a bit suspicious of it for quite a while. Their fears were confirmed when we spotted some wild boar on a kayak ride through an overgrown water path on the side of the island. Little grunts and something moving about in the trees and brush alerted us to their presence. We glimpsed the beasts through the dense growth. They were partially visible and moving about like the boar on "Lost". As we quickly paddled away the boy's beliefs solidified.

But it gets better. You cannot have the "Lost" island without some sort of clandestine government activity. For the last few months we have had that as well. A green helicopter suddenly appears from over the bay and lands in a small clearing on the island. It never stays long enough to shut down. It lands just out of sight, idles down for about sixty seconds, then revs back up for takeoff. I finally snapped a few pics this morning. Unfortunately I think I was spotted! If you zoom in on one of the photos you will clearly see the pilot looking directly at me as I click away. EEK! If I go missing DO NOT call the police or any government agency. I suggest the A Team.

So there you have it. "Lost" has been found. I will let you know if we spot any black mist.

Recently this same helicopter reminded me of Ray Liotta's paranoid scene in "Good Fellas". It landed on the island in the morning. Nothing new about that. But later that morning it flew low overhead as I parked at the Publix supermarket. But once again it gets better. That afternoon I was thirty miles from home and guess what. Yep. It flew over my head as I travelled down the interstate!

Spooky.

What is at the End of the Rainbow?

According to Wyatt, who spotted the bit of rainbow tonight, if we can find the end of it "We'll be rich!!!". According to Griffin, Target is at the end of the rainbow. Specifically, the toy department. Harry did not let us know what he thought was at the end of the rainbow but I suspect it would be the largest jug of orange juice the world has ever seen. For Cooper it would probably be an endless row of unlocked kitchen cabinets the contents of which he is allowed to strew about the floor.

For Lisa it would most definitely be a good night's sleep. For me, it would be our family home. Only it would somehow be a short distance from NYC, Tuscany, London, Paris, Durango, a good race track, Seattle, a wooden sailboat builder, Sydney, San Francisco, Sonoma and several other of my favorite places all at once. :D Oh yeah, it would also be on a private island. lol

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good: I took FTD (Fastest Time of the Day aka first place) in the street tire division at autocross today. I beat all but one of the race tire division as well.

The Bad: On my last run I over-estimated my driving skills, pushed it too hard, and went sideways in the slalom at about 50 mph. The bad part is that it was at the very end of the course and I slid sideways right over the timing gear which proceeded to fly into the air in many pieces. It did not slow me down as I continued off the track into the grass and kicked up a bunch of dirt. Luckily I was not sideways in relation to the side of the track so there was little chance of flipping.

The Ugly: You break it you buy it. Not sure yet, but I think I added about $150 to the cost of the day to replace the timing equipment.

Separated at Birth?

I took Wyatt and Griffin to the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa yesterday. It rained off and on during our visit. You might think that is a bad thing but you would be wrong! It simply gave the boys plenty of puddles to get soaked in. The temper- ature was kept cool by the rains as well.

As we looked at the animals I couldn't help but feel a sense of deja-vu. The pictures should show you why.

Trainspotting

Wyatt Griffin and I went train- spotting at Barnes & Noble today. We spotted a Thomas the Tank Engine, James, a big City Engine and several others.

Kid Tossing

If you can't tip 'em - toss 'em!

Dance Off 2006

Ilana rules with The Brooklyn Dance vs. Griffin's The Angry Dance. We haven't even convinced Ilana to drink any wine yet! Griffin either.

Are There Four or Five Children in This House?

The old rubber lizard trick. Poor Ilana. I hope she has a strong heart. It appears that somebody placed a rubber lizard next to her guest bed. It's a fairly realistic little guy. We once put it in the driveway and had a car full of retired people stop, look at it, and come to our door to warn us! Of course eyesight isn't as good at 95 as it is for kids like Ilana.

Mr. X Has a Sticky Pod!

WooHoo! My Sticky Pod arrived today. This is a great little device that allows one to attach a camcorder to moving vehicles. I can film racing events from the car's point of view, for example. Or better yet, I could put it on the windshield looking in at a passenger. This could be a visitor from Brooklyn even. Then I could exercise all 500 hp and see how she reacts. muhahahaha

If Life Hands You Lemons, Eat Them!!

Yes, those are lemons my boys are eating. No, I have no idea why. Wyatt said "Dad, these are really sour lemons."

Lab Tipping

Labrador tipping can be fun as well. Too bad they don't sleep standing up.