Mikeward v8.0 is the personal website for Mike Ward, the former east coast, now midwest, computer geek/naval officer. It is a place for me to document my random thoughts, ideas, travel tips, sea stories etc... a place for pics of the places I've been and the things I have seen... pretty much what makes me happy. Feel free to read and share...
A lot of people have asked about the avatar I use for my Twitter profile so I thought it would be easier just to point them here.
Back in 1994 I was working for Midwest Micro, a local company that was competing with Gateway. I worked in the advertising department where I was a manager.
We advertised in many of the Ziff Davis publications, Computer World, PC Computing and Computer Shopper and the creative director planned these elaborate multi page spreads that appeared in these publications. Most were 4 to 10 pages, full color, always with a theme.
Well October was drawing near and the boss wanted to advertise ‘monster savings’ so he planned this Halloween spread, he also asked if I wanted to be part of it. I said sure, even though it meant shaving off the moustache I had sported for years, I thought it would be fun.
The result is in the avatar. I spent a few hours in makeup and had a huge hose clamp around my neck that had Pentium computer chips attached to it. My picture took up most of the page on page two of the spread and appeared in a couple million magazines.
So, I joke, but yes, that was the extent of my modeling career. If you ever stop by the house, I still have the October 1994 PC Computing if you want to see. :)
I just watched Michael Phelps get his first gold at the 2008 Olympics. I saw his Mom in the stands, I heard the National Anthem. I wept.
I wondered if I would ever see any of my children represent the United States in a similar feat. I realized it really doesn’t matter, I love them for what they are, anything else would just be a bonus.
Went for a walk at lunch with Hannah who rode her bike. As we went through the neighborhood I noticed she was having trouble stopping so I checked her brakes, commenting to her that one of them needed to be adjusted.
She said ok and then asked, ‘can you tell me how to turn on my blinker?’ ‘Your blinker’ I asked. ‘Yes, that big shiny square on the front and back.’
I laughed, as often happens during our conversations, and said, ‘those are reflectors.’ ‘Oh’, she said, ‘whats a reflector?’
As much as I enjoy watching her grow, I am going to miss these times even more.
‘Kids Say’ worthy quotes are fewer and farther in between, but occasionally one of the kids comes up with one. The most recent both came from Hannah.
Crisis in the Middle Ages
I overheard Hannah laughing in the back seat of the car and when I asked her why she said, “I just saw an old man in a sporty car. He is having a middle age crisis.”
What kind of fish is that?
While at the grocery we decided to have fish for dinner and Hannah helped us pick out what kind of fish we were going to have. Before we even started cooking, Noah asked what was for dinner and we replied fish. “What kind” he asked and Hannah replied “caught fish.” My wife and I both cracked up and through our laughter we said, “no Sweetie, its cod fish.”
Not everyone’s favorite comic, but he made me remember, he made me think, and he made me laugh. From his Catholic school stories, to Al Sleet (the Hippy Dippy Weatherman), to the meaning of words and how people use them, he always had a passion for what he said and he knew how to say it.
Yesterday, Hannah had her first Feis (pronounced fesh), an Irish Dance competition. We were up at 5 a.m. to brave the traffic and crowds we knew would be lining up at the Queen City Feis in Cincinnati. We got there in plenty of time (6:30a.m.) for our 7:00 registration.
We managed to push our way up to the head of the line with the only other family that happened to show up that early, and got registered. Having a little time to kill (an hour and a half) we found a lovely hotel restaurant and had a little continental breakfast while we waited for the events to start.
At 8:30, the National Anthems of Ireland, Canada and the United States were sung and the competition was off. Being a beginner, Hannah’s dances were both early in the day. She danced the Reel (click the play button below to see the reel) and the Jig along with girls from a number of other Midwest Dance schools.
After the dancing, we waited patiently as the scores were tallied. As the Reel scores were posted, Hannah was very pleased to find she had placed 3rd. Well, Daddy and Noah were pleased to find she had placed 3rd, Hannah had gone to the bathroom with Mommy. Five minutes later, with Hannah walking around with her 3rd place medal, the scores for the Jig were posted. Daddy got to put her second medal on her as she had placed 3rd in that event too.
We left Cincinnati behind by 9:30, two medals in hand and a bright future in Irish Dance ahead.
We started the day by giving Hannah her birthday present from us and then we did the regular Saturday morning drill, guitar lessons, dance lessons and errands. In between all that we bought Hannah a present from Noah and then just tried to make our errands fun while killing time till her party.
So what is better you ask? Well, we were walking through Sam’s Club and Hannah looked up at me and said, ‘Dad, you know how you told me not to act like a queen this weekend because it was my birthday?’ ‘Of course I do’ I said, ‘why?’ ‘Because’ she replied, ‘you’re treating me like one.’
I appreciated the fact the kids took to heart what I had told them, but I think it is even better that a 9 year old appreciates what her parents do, even while we are dragging her around doing Saturday morning errands.
My daughter is about to celebrate her 9th birthday and I know this is going to cause some issues with the 12 year old son who thinks she gets too much attention already. (They get equal attention but you know how kids are). So, this morning I attempted a preemptive strike with individual discussions with each of them:
Me to the daughter: “I know it’s your birthday weekend but that doesn’t mean you get to be queen and act all snotty to your brother, OK?”
Her: “OK Daddy.”
Me to the son: “You know its your sister’s birthday weekend so she is going to act like a queen this weekend so don’t get upset when she does. You’ve already had your weekend OK?”
Him: “OK Dad.”
I guess I’ll just have to wait and see how it goes ;)
I was listening to Bob and Tom this morning and they were able to interview Senator Hillary Clinton. I have to say it was informative because she let the entire listening audience know that when George Bush was elected, oil was $20 a barrel and now it’s $120 a barrel.
I am sure he (George Bush) finds it easier to control oil prices then when he had to create the hurricanes to sway the election results.
2 political posts from me in two days….. be afraid, be very afraid.
Note: the views expressed in the last two posts are no indication of my political affiliation.
It is my custom to fly the flag of Ireland and the Green and Red of Mayo (the county of my Mum’s birth) today but since moving into the new house, I have not had the chance to put up any type of flag flying device. This year I will just have to fly them here as they were on my old house.
A lot of people have asked about the avatar I use for my Twitter profile so I thought it would be easier just to point them here.
