Rob Eubank

2009-11-21T14:49:00.002-05:00

O-H-I-O

Another glorious victory over that team up north...

2009-08-15T19:19:00.002-04:00

Class of 2013 Lady Knights Volleyball Squad

Marie's season opener is two weeks from today! Can't wait!

2009-08-13T04:32:00.005-04:00

Zobapago

I think I've done about 7 or 8 gigs now with the kid's band, Zobapago. What started out as simply filling in on acoustic for a weekend show about 4 months ago has turned into a new passion of mine...as well as our band's newest roadie, lil' Sarah Kay. The gang consists of Kimmy and Dan Salmons (vocals and percussion), Eric on sax/ percussion, Tony on bass, EZ on electric, and then yours truly on acoustic. We've played venues ranging from private birthday parties to outdoor settings including neighborhood rec centers and the Cuyahoga Falls amphitheatre. I think we've got Highland Square's Art festival coming up next month and then a gig down at EJ Thomas in November.

By far, though, the most fun that comes out of all of this is just the sheer joy and singin' and dancin' by our audience- a mosh pit of 3-8 year olds. Kimmy is simply fantastic getting these kids involved in all the tunes that we play- Goin' to the Doctor, Shapes, Dinosaur, and Gravity are some of my personal favorites and tunes probably well on their way to becoming Platinum in the near future...I'm tellin' ya Wiggles...move on over!

2009-08-06T07:55:00.004-04:00

More Landscapin'

When I bought/ planted this bush last year, I was told that it would attract these lil' critters...guess it worked.

2009-07-29T20:37:00.008-04:00

The Mending Wall

Something there is that doesn't love a wall...

I'll preface this post by saying that I do truly adore my next door neighbors. Their kids- Christina and Goren- have become Josh and Sarah Kay's best friends...and the four of them play together extremely well. So at the risk of appearing "un-neighborly", I just finished a little landscaping project this week by planting eight 4' arborvitaes alongside the fence that separates our two yards. To be blunt, my neighbor's yard has become rather "busy" with their smoke house, dog kennel, grape vineyard, enormous woodpile, and 10' trampoline, which my kids so enjoy playing on I might add. It really doesn't bother me too much now, but I guess I'm just lookin' ahead to the the time when I turn into a crotchedy, old man who would relish a secluded, private backyard....I'm guessin' that it'll probably take these trees about 10-15 years to reach full height to award me this little wish of mine...we'll see.

2009-07-26T21:14:00.015-04:00

Holy Cross Pilgrimage: Hoban High School's Montreal Trip 2009

After driving just about the half the distance and staying over night in Toronto, the Hoban kids, Mandi (Hoban math teacher), and I arrived in Montreal last Monday around 5:00 p.m. After a quick dinner in the College Jean de Brebeauf's cafeteria, we made what would be our first of many trips over to St. Joseph's Oratory of Mount-Royal for evening prayer. Our hosts- Brother Jonathan Beebe, CSC and Brother Mark Knightly, CSC- spent a considerable amount of time explaining to our kids the difference between being a tourist and being a pilgrim. Unlike touring a big city (like Montreal) and window shopping and sight-seeing various attractions and historical buildings and monuments, a pilgrimage is truly a spiritual journey...a journey that leads us to several churches to seek and encounter God. It's a time of change and transformation in an effort to live out the Gospel more deeply in our lives. Truthfully, I think all of us- including Mandi and I- embraced this message whole-heartedly the first time that we arrived to the summit of St. Joseph's Oratory and peered out over the entire city of Montreal...words cannot describe the scene from the Oratory's terrace...

The second day included a detailed tour of the Oratory as well as an education on the man who is credited with the construction of this magnificent building, Brother Andre Bessette. Earning the reputation of a miracle worker, I read in some of the literature that this man vehemently protested such a title and proclaimed that "people are silly to think that I can accomplish miracles! It is God who can heal you, not I. However, we were told on the tour that he is currently at the stage of beatification and is currently awaiting the next step- sainthood- which can only be bestowed on a man by the Papacy.

While at the Oratory, we all were able to see not only the tomb of Brother Andre, but also the oratory museum, which contained a collections of nativities made from various countries all over the world...spectacular! Later in the evening, we all headed back to this same spot to witness a dramatization of the stations of the cross...presented in the Oratory's outside gardens. Again, just an incredibly beautiful- albeit contemporary- reenactment of Christ's final days here on earth.

Wednesday was set aside for the whole gang to make the trek downtown- using the subway system of course- and tour Montreal's other basilicas: Mary Queen of the World (modeled after St. Peter's in Rome), St. Patrick's, and Notre Dame de Montreal. Even though it made for an extremely long day to tour all three of these, it was very cool to see them all in succession...to compare the styles and ornamentation found in each one...and believe me, each one was extremely different. Hands down, my favorite was the Notre Dame Basilica. Check these three out on-line sometime to see the magnificence found in their structure and interior artwork...simply indescribable...at least for this mediocre blog writer.

Following some impromptu witness talks by all the adult chaperons on the trip, the afternoon allowed us to re-visit the downtown area of Montreal and do some of the touristy things in the city. Twenty years from now if I come back and re-read this posting...I would be remiss to not document our journey to St. Catherine's St. Let's just say that this is a rather lively and eclectic part of the downtown area that thrives on adult entertainment. Needless to say, we made a rather quick U-turn from this location after we realized that we had kind of made a wrong turn on the tour.

It had been a number of years since I had chaperoned a lengthy trip with students. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect, but our kids were phenomenal. They played and laughed hard, but they equally prayed hard- with earnest- during all of our prayer services and masses that we attended together as a group. I think the one moment that I'll remember most is watching our kids "pray the steps" at the Oratory. Beginning at the bottom and working their way up the hillside- on their knees on stone pavement- their prayer journey took them over an hour...it truly was a moving experience to see a bunch of teenagers- huddled together in prayer- make the ascent to the top of the Oratory. So cool.

On a much lighter note, we shared so many laughs together as we played Euchre each night through the wee hours of the morning...not to mention the car rides there and back from Montreal. The kids transformed my music tendencies a bit by getting me hooked on their Hip-Hop music...some catchy tunes were sung loud and strong while rollin' down the Canadian highways. Again, thanks to Mandi, Josh, Chris, Emily, Katie, Anna, Sammi, Paul, and Nettie for a wonderful trip...

2009-07-26T21:00:00.000-04:00

2009-07-18T19:56:00.003-04:00

Allegany '09

Cindy, the kids, and I just got back from a week "camping" in the mountains. I'll admit that our accommodations probably would not classify as true camping...2 bedroom cabin w/ full kitchen, living room, bathroom and shower. I did, though, have to start a campfire each night! Anyway, here's a quick overview of how we spent the week...

2009-07-18T19:45:00.000-04:00

Day #1...

Cindy wasn't able to meet up with us till Wed., so the kids and I spent the first couple of days in the "wildnerness" by ourselves...and I managed not to lose either one of them! The park has a beatuiful lake- Red House Lake- which we were able to swim, play at the beach, and rent a paddle boat for the day...as Josh found out, it's a bit harder to row the boat with three passengers!

2009-07-18T19:40:00.000-04:00

Day 2...

The three of us took a three mile trek (the Black Snake Mountain trail) up the mountain this morning...a very, very long three miles I might add...and then after a trip to the camp store to get a much needed bow and arrow (mom still hadn't arrived so Josh and I figured it would be an opportune time for this particular purchase) and a quick dinner cooked on the campfire...we made yet another trek to the local ice cream stand.

2009-07-18T19:35:00.000-04:00

Day 3...

With mom having arrived the night before, we made a day trip to Niagara Falls on Thursday. I can't begin to describe the look on Sarah Kay and Josh's faces as we boarded the Maid of the Mist and headed toward the Horseshoe Falls...so much fun. Afterwards, we headed over to Goat Island to take in the sights of both the American and Canadian Falls. Absolutely breath-taking...did I mention that we did an awful lot of walking that day?

2009-07-18T19:30:00.000-04:00

Day 3- later that evening...

And what would be a camping trip without an authentic Hootenanny? Josh and Sarah weren't shy at all at running up on the stage to lead the crowd in some singin' and dancin'. Each evening ended with a relaxing campfire...with Josh's newest friend and Sarah Kay's newest "boyfriend"...boy, am I in trouble...

2009-07-18T19:25:00.001-04:00

Day 4...

Well, the game plan was to rent a canoe or a kayak this morning, but when Josh and I got to the marina, we were told that they no longer provided this service...so, we had to settle for little fishing boat instead. Josh absolutely loved driving this little craft around the Allegany Reservoir...later that day, we headed off towards Thunder Rocks where the kids were able to climb around and give their mother a near heart attack as they scampered around the rocks and cliffs.

2009-07-10T23:17:00.005-04:00

" Mean Joe" Eubank

Not that I'm ready to rush my son's grade school life by him, but I would love to see the lil' guy don the Hoban gridiron colors at Dowed Field someday...having just finished up his very first football camp, Josh appears to be pretty excited about the notion of playing organized football, possibly as soon as next year for the CYO team through St. Matthews. Of course, if his interest turns to another sport...say the exciting, fast paced game of soccer...well, then, I guess I could live with that. But I REALLY wouldn't mind at all if the lil' guy chooses to play offensive tackle or defensive end someday...much to the chagrin of his mom, I would imagine.

The Hoban coaches introduced the kids to many of the practice drills that the high school players endure during training camp. I think one of the coolest things for Josh was simply being able to play on Hoban's field w/ its artificial turf and "larger than life" size goal posts. Sarah Kay and I watched a good portion of the camps from the bleachers, and Josh seemed to be able to hold his own against the other kids...if fact, I'm thinkin' that I may need to get him an agent within the next couple of years or so....just to be safe.

2009-07-07T21:00:00.003-04:00

Sarah Kay and her pup

We've had Maggie now for about six years...we bought her at the Humane Society back in 2003, and at that time they told us that she was probably around 7-8 years old. I know that I've told a number of people this over the years, but this dog really is about the best pet that anyone could ask for. From day one, she has been wonderful around kids, and she has become quite attached just recently to Sarah Kay...most likely because she tends to play with her more than Josh and Marie do.

I've recently started thinking about how much longer our family pet will be with us...in addition to her much smaller appetite and poor hearing, just yesterday, as we were taking our evening walk, I really noticed how bad Maggie's arthritis is beginning to bother her. She still LOVES to go on walks, but it's become a real labor of love for her to make the familiar trek around the neighborhood that we so often have made over the years.

2009-06-28T19:19:00.006-04:00

Happy Birthday, Josh

We didn't really go all out for the little guy's 8th birthday...for a number of reasons...but I think Josh enjoyed himself yesterday as he "partied" with his two bestest friends, who happen to live right next door, in helping him celebrate his 8th birthday.

I know that I'm gonna sound like just another braggin' father here, but I really have to say how incredibly proud I am of my son. These past six months have been a very trying time for our family, and the little guy has been simply amazing through it all. I've always said that Josh is the type of kid who wears his heart on his sleeve...but he's also turned into quite a strong young man who is constantly looking out for not only his little sister, but his mother, whom he loves ever so much. Through it all, Josh is always concerned that everyone is always happy and well taken care of. The lil' guy is gonna make an awesome husband/dad one day...no doubt about it.

Outside of the DS that you so dearly wanted for your birthday, Josh...if there is one gift that I could give to you for your birthday it would be the courage to fight for things in your life that are most important....never take the easy way out, love your family and friends with all your heart, and keep your faith in Christ. Truth is, though, Josh tends to help me out with these things a whole lot more than I do for him. Happy Birthday son...I love ya so much!

2009-06-26T11:59:00.003-04:00

Archbishop Hoban High School

Class of 2013

Our Admissions department will use this photo quite a bit this fall in various publications. Check out the gleaming smile of the cute one in the lower right hand corner of the photo...Ms. Marie's high school career has officially begun!

2009-06-23T09:45:00.005-04:00

Summer Reading

Josh was assigned the “Herculean” task of reading 20 minutes each day of his summer break by his teacher on his last day of school. Looking around at the plethora of books in his room, I thought that maybe we could turn this into a little project that would have some meaning to it…as well as something that he will hopefully remember for a while. Around a couple of weeks ago, Josh had actually asked for a Bible for his birthday. He’s had a couple of prayer books and “favorite Bible stories” collections…but never did he own an actual kid’s Bible that contained both the Old and New Testaments.

So after a quick trip to Borders, I found this one that seemed to be perfect for the little guy, who is still honing in on his first grade reading skills. This Bible has around 550 pages, and contains the major OT and NT stories. What’s been most amazing to me is how much Josh actually knows about some of the OT characters- apparently from both his grade school as well as Sunday school classes. When we began the story about Jacob and Esau…he piped up…”Oh yeah, Dad, this is the one about the mean son who stole his brother’s birthmark”…”You mean, birth-right?” “Yeah, that’s it”…and so the summer reading continued...

To date, we’ve read through most of Exodus, and are getting ready to plow through Joshua and the Battle of Jericho this week…

Josh- my Josh that is…has read every word on every page so far. Only 452 pages to go!

2009-06-18T21:14:00.011-04:00

Alive 2009

After what seemed like weeks of reading Guy's Facebook status of ..."don't forget to vote for Julie at http://www.alive.org/ "...things fell into place as Julie Hufstetler secured a top ten spot for this year's New Artist Talent Search at the Alive Music Festival in Canal Fulton.

In addition to the incredible vocals of Ms. Julie, our band consisted of Andrea Leibundgut- drums, Jayson Benn- electric guitar, Daniel Salmons- bass, Joey Garlando- keyboards, and yours truly on acoustic. We took the stage at noon today and played a 25 minute set in the Woods stage...complete with an encore of one of my favorite tunes from Julie's latest CD's, He Changes Everything.

The winner, as chosen by the judges at Alive 09, will represent Alive this fall at the Word Records New Artist Talent Search in Nashville, TN. There the winner will be showcased and compete against 16 other festival winners from across the country.

Then, as an added bonus, the winner will be also be able to perform at the 2010 Alive festival on the Main Stage.

This whole experience was something that I will treasure for a long time. I was truly flattered that Julie even asked me to play in the band, and I think we all were kind of pleasantly surprised how quickly and effortlessly things came together for today's performance. Anytime you want to take this gig on the road there, Ms. Julie...count me in! Regardless of the outcome of the competition, you are a phenomenal musical talent, and no doubt God has great things in store for you with your song writing/ music ministry...

2009-06-18T21:10:00.001-04:00

2009-06-02T22:18:00.005-04:00

Conquering the Magnum

The lil' guy helped me chaperone the annual Hoban High School 9th grade class trip to Cedar Point today. As what has become the norm, it rained the entire way up to Sandusky, but once we got inside the park, the rains ceased and we had a pretty decent day- albeit a bit chilly. But the upside to that was that the lines were almost non-existent...I don't think we waited for more than 10 minutes for any of the rides we tackled today, including the Magnum (after a little bit of encouragement by yours truly)

The Hoban kids were great- both on the bus ride to the park as well as their promptness getting back to the buses by 7:30 p.m.- it was 7:33 when the last kid boarded this evening...not too bad.

My fondest memory of the trip came when my son was playing the infamous guessing game- you know the one when the gal tries to guess either your weight, age, or birthdate. Not having seen the gal write down her guess on a piece of paper, she asked Josh when his birthday was...after replying that it was on June 27th, the worker said "December...take your prize young man." Perplexed, Josh looked at her and replied, " Didn't you just hear me....I said it was in June...you don't listen very well" Well, maybe you had to be there...I thought it was awfully funny.

2009-05-06T19:00:00.003-04:00

Joys of Parenthood

So what to do with a seven year old who loses two behavior tickets in school for...oh, I don't know... thinking that it would be a good idea to start up a WWWF WRESTLING match with his buddy during Health class...and in the process, breaking a paper bin on his teacher's desk? Local adoption agency? Kiddy boot camp? Junior seminary school? In all seriousness, Josh is a great kid, but he just has these judgement lapses...i.e brain farts...where you have to shake your head and ask, "Dude- what were you thinkin?"

Having drawn the short straw, I was awarded the dubious task of doling out the punishment for the little guy. As luck would have it, one of his other buddies had just invited Josh to a birthday party this weekend, so not allowing him to attend that was kind of a no brainer...but the other "tough love" consequence for Bone Crusher Eubank Jr. was to tell him that he wasn't going to be allowed to test for his karate green belt in two weeks...something that he has been so looking forward to. Times like these where I HATE being a Dad...you want to give the world to your kids, but you also need to instill in them a sense of discipline and responsibility for their actions...easier said than done when a seven year-old with a killer smile and baby blue eyes is involved. Love ya, son...one day, you'll understand...like when you have kids of your own!

2009-05-05T06:33:00.003-04:00

Confirmation Sunday

After spending a good part of the school year preparing for this sacrament, Marie appeared before the Bishop this past Sunday to confirm her faith in Christ...and I couldn't be more proud of her. Here's a kid who simply "gets it". Marie has grown into an incredibly beautiful young lady- yeah I know, I'm braggin' here- and has truly begun to put her faith in action as I've watched her interact with and care for the people in her life...and yes, this even include her little brother!

2009-04-18T09:48:00.009-04:00

Easter '09

Finally got around to posting these pics. (I got my wi-fi working at last...yeah!) Not too sure how many of the eggs ended up unscathed through Josh and Sarah's decorating technique... nobody in the family likes hardboiled eggs anyway. The kids had a great time, though, with coloring and then finding them outside on Easter Sunday afternoon.

2009-04-13T10:33:00.002-04:00

Father Daughter Dance

Marie and I went to what will be our last Father Daughter Dance...unless of course Marie wants me to tag along as she attends the Homecoming and Sweetheart dances at Hoban next year....ha, ha.

2009-04-13T10:19:00.006-04:00

Cub Scout Baseball Outing

Josh and I made the trek down to Canal Park to take in a game with all of Josh's little buddies in his cub scouts. Unlike going up to Progressive Field, catching a game down here is so much more enjoyable for the little guy- in terms of being able to have the chance of interacting with the players. Prior to the start of the game, Akron's center fielder came up to Josh and handed him a baseball and patted him on the shoulder and thanked him for coming out tonight to watch the game. Yeah, like that happens at a major leager ballgame. Then, during the third inning, Josh actually caught a foul ball to add to his collection from the evening. The weather was perfect, and since there weren't that many folks down there, we were able to sit pretty much wherever we wanted.

2009-04-04T10:37:00.013-04:00

Hangin' out at the Park...

Playin' in the Park...

And Chowin' on Ice Cream!

2009-03-21T08:47:00.002-04:00

Balloons, Candles, and Presents...oh, my

And kinda in that order. Sarah Kay- for what seems like weeks- has been so concerned about making sure that I had balloons for her as she approached her landmark 3rd birthday. Funny, the presents seemed to be a bit of an after-thought. (Too bad her brother and sister don't have that same mind set...ha, ha)

Sarah Kay was also of great assistance with the cake making activities. She wasn't too keen on breaking the eggs, but she loved helping use the electric mixer. But when the time came to actually eat the cake...she was more interested in the ice-cream...a true affinity shared by her father as well.

No doubt, one of her "favorite presents" was a brand new Care Bear stylin' potty seat. The look that she gave me when she opened this was something along the lines of..."Wow, that's awesome Dad but if you think I'm planning on using it in the near future...you're sadly mistaken..."

Wish us luck!

Happy Birthday Sarah Kay...I love you with all my heart.

2008-12-30T16:39:00.003-05:00

Our Lionel Town

Josh and I took a ride over to Glen's train shop over in Akron yesterday and bought a few accessories for his (our) train. It almost seems like one would need to open up a home equity loan to buy some of this stuff...and as it is turning out...the locomotive is the cheap part of this hobby. Josh had some Christmas money that he was wanting to spend, so he picked out the gray/blue country house, the Harley Davidson billboard, a couple of extra 8" tracks, and some people to populate his town. With the little guys being $25, the billboard $35, and the house $30...he went through his dough pretty quick. I had wanted to get some trees for the layout, but this particular shop doesn't carry them. Oh yeah...a typical 6" tree will run you about $15.

As I conveyed to Josh...and myself...this will be a hobby or ours that we can add pieces slowly over time, as the cash flow permits. The old black water tower and coal station are both from my collection as a kid (Josh doesn't know that yet...) The grass mat came just today, so with Josh off at a buddy's house for a sleepover and Sarah Kay snoozing away upstairs...I meticulously disassembled everything to lay the landscaping mat. It would have been a whole lot easier had this come prior to Santa's arrival last week, but the postal system didn't exactly cooperate.

Our next investment- next to the trees of course- is a trestle-bridge. Donations can be sent over to Barberton for anyone who would like to buy some stock in this layout.

2008-12-28T08:04:00.008-05:00

After what seemed like months of hiding gifts and anticipating Christmas morning with the kids...the New Year is almost here. 2009 sounds so weird- especially considering that I was born way back in the 60's...ouch!

Ironically, Marie was the first one up, followed by her brother. After watching the older two stare at the tree for what seemed like hours, I meandered upstairs to wake the two year-old. I figured redemption was in order for all her past early morning arousals. At first, she wanted nothing to do with leaving her warm bed, but as soon as I mentioned the Santa word, little Sarah Kay jumped out and scooted down the hallway to see what he had left her under the tree.

Saying for months that she simply wanted a dolly for Christmas, I don't think she was disappointed as she opened her packages, complete with a high chair, baby doll accouterments, and a bunch of other toys that I don't even remember buying.

Josh was totally pumped when he and Marie opened up their Playstation Rock Band. I gotta tell ya...this is one addicting game. I've never been a big fan of Nirvanna, the Clash, and Weezer, but jammin' on their songs with this is nothing short of awesome. Both Josh and Marie prefer to play the drums, and I'm definitely hooked on the guitar, with little Sarah Kay leading the way on vocals.

Being a HUGE fan of my beloved Cavs (not sure when she got that from), Marie was pretty excited to get an autographed photo plaque of her favorite player, Boobie Gibson, who she'll get to see in person as we're also going to see them play this afternoon at the Q. The teenager is also an official member of the 24 fan club, complete with an array of 24 gifts...including a poster of the none other than Jack Bauer.

With all the packages opened, Josh found a letter under the tree addressed to him. It read that there was a special present for him and his daddy waiting downstairs...the Lionel train. This was the one gift this year that I was most excited about giving to my son. Having had one myself- given to me by Santa for Christmas when I too was 7- I had assembled it all for him the night before, combining the new set with some of my old cars and accessories. Thanks to Scott who had delivered the plywood a few days prior, the train was all set to go as Josh ran down the stairs to see what "the special gift" was. He and I are planning on heading over to Glen's train shop later this week to get a few more buildings; I'm waiting for the landscaping cover to arrive any day now, so I'll definitely post "updated pics" of the train as we add to our layout.

After playing for the Christmas Eve services at the Chapel, we headed down to Marietta the following morning to spend the day with Cindy's folks, and then had Christmas #3 with mine on Friday.

2008-12-23T07:31:00.004-05:00

Baby Blues

So I just got this new toy...no, not the kid...I've had him for quite a while now. But Santa came early and left me a Canon PowerShot SX100 the other day.

I've been wanting to get a new camera for a long time now, and I figured the arrival of the holidays would be an opportune time. I constantly was battling red eye and blurriness with the old one. I am so impressed with the zoom feature on the Canon. I think I took this photo about 25 feet from the little guy...not to mention, the camera is also equipped to take true night shots as well as landscape settings and video clips. The manual is about 100 pages, so I've got a little homework to do between now and Christmas morning...gotta be ready for the kiddos.

2008-12-12T11:20:00.005-05:00

This pretty much sums up my disdain for the Yanks, who once again, were big winners at the winter meetings. We'll see if it pays off for them in October...hopefully not!

2008-12-06T14:02:00.004-05:00

Varejao Wig Night at the "Q"

Leading the way with 17 points, Andy Varejao- along with the rest of the Cavs- destroyed the Pacers last night. This team is frighteningly good...and I have big time expectations for them to compete for the championship this year.

After chowing down at Quaker State and Lube, Marie and I donned the wigs right before we headed to our seats...fun evening!

2008-11-30T19:23:00.003-05:00

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches...that is, if I could actually see them!

-Sarah Kay

2008-11-28T19:15:00.000-05:00

A Kalahari Thanksgiving

After a quick lunch at Appleby's, we arrived at the Kalahari around 1:00. Thankfully, our room was already available, so after quickly unloading the car and changing into our swim gear, we headed down to the water park.

Marie and Josh immediately took off for the big slides while Cindy and I took Sarah Kay over to the "little kids" section, which is brand new for this year. With absolutely no fear of the water, Ms. Sarah played pretty hard throughout the afternoon. Knowing that we were going to have a huge Thanksgiving dinner buffet on Thursday (and let me tell you...it rivaled just about anything you'd see in the Vegas hotels), we ate at the resort's pizza parlor Wed. evening and then headed back for some more swimming/ hot-tubbin' till the park closed at 10:00.

I got up around 5:00 the next morning to work out in the fitness center and then meandered over to the lobby to read a bit, which would have been quite pleasant (big overstuffed leather sofas/ roaring fireplace) had it not been for this utterly annoying talking moose machine whose recording continued to ask whether you wanted your fortune told. Half tempted to plow my bum leg through it's showcase, I instead moved to the other side of the room and read until 8:00. The kids were already up and ready to go for another day of swimming.

2008-11-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

2008-11-22T16:56:00.004-05:00

Our story begins before time began. God, wanting to show his love, must create people who can choose to accept or reject his love. In order for them to truly choose to be a part of his kingdom, they must be able to reject him and create kingdoms of their own.

-opening scene of Kingdoms

Pastor Herb, Kent (pictured here with my son), and the Straight Street singers should all be so incredibly proud of their production. Just the thought of directing 140+ kids (grades 1-6) is amazing...but they pulled it off magnificently.

Josh's very first "theatrical speaking role" came right after the Tower of Babel was destroyed as he stepped up to the mic and- as only a method actor could deliver the line- belted out his much anticipated two word soliloquy..."Oh, no!" I'll never forget the night when I picked him up from rehearsal- he was so excited that he was chosen to say an actual line, albeit a short- but nevertheless- extremely significant line. (at least in my eyes)

The kids had great audiences both performances but appeared to really nail the show Saturday morning as you could simply tell the the leads really got comfortable with both their lines and songs.

Josh's favorite tune from the show (not surprisingly the one leading up to his infamous line) was Build a Tower, but his favorite part was when he got to play one of the fierce Babylonians and rush on stage to seize/ capture the poor, helpless Israelites. The scene pretty much rivaled anything you'd see in Braveheart...

I couldn't be more proud of you, little man!

2008-11-18T20:34:00.000-05:00

Princess and the Pea

Little Sarah Kay's first bed...

2008-11-18T11:57:00.004-05:00

Rehabin’

Just when I thought I had seen all the cool toys at physical therapy, out came the “ACL torture rack” this morning. I joked with the Doc as to whether they confiscated this thing from descendants of the Inquisition. Still not being able to completely extend my leg, they strapped my thigh to a robotic table. Then, with a remote control, I could raise the table…tightening the strap along the way until I could feel an intense stretch to my knee ligaments. I got to do this 30 times with 10 second holds. Way too much fun for 7:30 a.m.

The game plan is to continue physical therapy through the holidays, and then go “solo” at the YMCA. I’m going to shoot for the Canal Place 5K run in early May as my comeback run…as well as our first Boettler Park sand-volleyball match later in the spring.

2008-11-04T06:55:00.006-05:00

Working Hard? Hardly Working?

The two were given the simple task of raking the yard on Saturday...not sure how many leaves actually made it into the trash bag, however...

2008-10-31T07:02:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Indiana Jones and the Search of the Ferocious Feline

Happy Halloween, everyone!

2008-10-19T18:25:00.002-04:00

My ouchie

That's what I've been hearing from my two year old for the past 3-4 weeks, anyway.

I'll be 42 in March, and to date, I've never had any type of surgery to speak of, with the exception of having my wisdom teeth extracted back in college. But come this Friday, I'll be heading over to the Health and Wellness Center in Montrose to have my ACL replaced.

If nothing else, this has been a crash course in anatomy for me the past few weeks. I know I probably learned this stuff years ago in school, but it's been kind of interesting to read up on the parts of the knee...so just in case you're interested...

The ACL crosses from the back of the femur (thighbone) to the front of the tibia (shinbone). It acts as a strong support for your knee, but it can be injured if you twist your knee too far or change direction too quickly. With a complete tear of the ACL (as in my case), your knee gives way more easily, letting the tibia shift forward while at the same time placing greater stress on the other major knee ligaments: the MCL (medial collateral ligament), the LCL (lateral collateral ligament), and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament)- got all that? See diagram for clarification.

Funny...when I first hurt myself, I thought it was just a sprain- even after visiting the Barberton ER that same night. They took x-rays, wrapped my knee, and sent me home after 4 glorious hours of waiting. But, after seeing my doctor a week later, he feared that it might be something a bit more severe...so after having the MRI done, the pics came back indicating a complete tear of my ACL. Unlike the X-rays, which simply show pictures of bones, the MRI is able to depict injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and cartilage.

My doc told me that the most common type of surgery for an ACL tear is reconstruction, which involves replacing the torn ligament with my own tissue. (evidently, they'll be "borrowing" one one of my hamstrings for this procedure). I could have opted to use one from a donor- as in a cadaver- but I told Dr. Franken...I mean Dr. Canterras that I was good with using stuff from my own body.

After Friday's surgery, I'm not gonna be able to drive for 7-10 days, and then shortly thereafter will begin physical therapy, which will require a 4-6 month program. All I know is that being sidelined for the fall volleyball league- not to mention the Akron Road Runner Marathon- has been utterly depressing, but my goal is to be ready to run some 10 k's and play some serious sand volleyball come this spring.

Wish me luck.

2008-10-16T20:13:00.002-04:00

Kingdoms

And now starring in the role of Waldorf...Joshua R. Eubank

So you never heard of the Biblical famed Waldorf before? Evidently, he was the infamous little dude who was terrified when God decided to destroy the Tower of Babel...at least according to Pastor Herb's script.

Now I don't mean to brag, but Josh landed his first actual speaking role in the church's fall production of Kingdoms. Each morning on the way to school, I've listened to Josh rehearse his "big line" in preparation for opening night. He's been attending rehearsals now for over a month, and trust me, you are NOT going to want to miss this show! Plan to arrive early to ensure premium seating for this production.

2008-09-28T05:36:00.003-04:00

Roar of the Greasepaint, Smell of the Crowd

Ever heard of this one? I sure didn't, but this was the spring musical of my junior year (1984) out at Walsh Jesuit. An old classmate of mine recently sent me this photo. (I'm one of the chorus urchins located in the second row, far left) And of course, Ms. Melina Kanakaredes (of CSI/ Guiding Light/ Providence fame) is pictured in the first row, second to the right. Told ya I knew the gal in high school....in fact, it was probably this show that inspired her career (doubtful...)

2008-09-20T21:58:00.007-04:00

Master Cub Scout

It was kind of a long day for the little guy. While Sarah Kay and I headed out to Goodyear Metro Park to participate in Alyssa's Hike, Josh tested for his second degree blue belt in karate. Then, later in the afternoon, he and mom headed over to school to attend his Den meeting for his Cub Scout troop that he recently joined. Following that social event, he and Cindy met me over in Hartville for our ABF get- together. While the adults stayed upstairs for group discussion, Josh and the rest of the kids played downstairs and jammed on Guitar Hero.

Sarah did remarkably well on the hike this morning. I'm guessing that she walked at least 1/2 of it by herself (@mile or so) and then climbed up on my shoulders to finish up the trek. Beautiful weather and a nice turnout made for an awesome event for the Calaway family.

2008-09-16T05:38:00.000-04:00

(y)-IKE-(s)!

I'm actually posting these pics for an insurance claim that I made this morning. Evidently, the wind storm that we endured last night was a present from Hurricane Ike. Never in my life have I seen trees sway like I did last night...and unfortunately, our favorite one in the backyard took a hard hit. (not to mention our fence)

I was stunned that I was actually able to get through this morning to our insurance company, USAA- considering the fact that they are located out of Texas. They told me to simply take pics and save receipts from the cleanup/ repair work. I have to believe that they- along with all insurance companies- are inundated with claims over the last few days.

Power just came on about 1/2 hour ago, and most of the schools in the area are closed for the day. I've been trying to get hold of Barberton Tree Co., but so far their lines are busy...surprise, surprise...

I guess I know what I'll be doing the next few days.

2008-09-16T05:34:00.002-04:00

2008-09-06T14:35:00.005-04:00

Me and Sandman...WeeMee Style

...compliments of my beloved teenage daughter, Marie

2008-09-01T21:11:00.008-04:00

Labor of Love Race '08

This year's race proved to be a bit more "laborious" than the past couple of years due to my new running partner- Ms. Sarah Kay- at my side. Dan Salmons and I split the 5 mile race- with each of us running 1/2 of it all the while pushing the kiddos in their racing strollers. The first part of the run went ok- although Sarah's front wheel came unlocked, and it started to jiggle the entire stroller- I think I gave the poor kid whip-lash. But, after a brief stop to lock the wheel into place, we continued along our trek...and made fairly decent time. But, that one hill going up through Akron U's campus by the JAR is an absolute killer!

As a warm-up to the 5 miler, Josh and I tackled the 1 mile "family fun race". Once again, the little guy ran the whole route without stopping. Way to go, my little man!

2008-09-01T21:10:00.000-04:00

2008-08-31T21:35:00.008-04:00

Smash Volleyball

Summer '08
.

Well, another season of Smash Volleyball has come and gone. Since way back in May, we only had two rainy evenings...and still, the die-hards prevailed and showed up to play. As I shared with Big D a few weeks ago, these outings have been so enjoyable to me not only because it's been an opportunity to spend some quality time with friends but also with Marie.

I'm guessin' the time will quickly come when "the teenager" may no longer want to hang out with her ole' dad, so I'm gonna cherish these summer outings as long as possible...course...I could do without the Ace serves and numerous commentaries about my age/ athletic abilities (or lack thereof) from my beloved daughter.

Thanks everyone for an awesome summer of Smash Volleyball!

2008-08-22T04:51:00.000-04:00

BEIJING – Maybe it was the gutsiest Olympic performance Kerri Walsh and Misty May had left. Almost certainly, it was the last.

The greatest duo in beach volleyball history did what no other team had done before, seizing their second straight gold medal despite mush-pocked sand and a driving rain that drove a sellout crowd to retreat under ponchos and umbrellas. Walsh ended a pair of 21-18 set victories with a crushing spike between China's Tian Jia and Wang Jie, extending Walsh’s and May-Treanor’s stunning streak of consecutive wins to 108 matches and counting. (Yahoo! Sports)

Well if this Olympian success story doesn't provide inspiration for Sandman, Quick Serve, Big D, Altitude, and the rest of our Boettler Park Smash Volleyball Club...not sure what will. We've got one final outdoor outing till we all take the courts- indoor- and begin our quest to become reigning champions of the Chapel's 18+ co-ed volleyball league.

2008-08-16T10:15:00.007-04:00

The King Lives

Begrudgingly, Marie appeased her ole' dad and agreed to have her picture taken with Elvis at the ballpark last night. Obviously the rock n' roll king brought good luck as Cliff Lee prevailed to earn his 17th win (tops in the American League/ and lone bright spot for an otherwise dismal baseball season).

2008-07-25T23:08:00.006-04:00

Day Trips

A visit to the Akron Zoo, the Metro Gorge Park (w/ a 2 mile trek, I might add), and an Akron Aeros baseball game helped entertain the kids this past week....six more days, and then it's back to work for me...ugh!

2008-07-21T23:50:00.006-04:00

Summer Projects

I actually built the kid's clubhouse/ swing set about 3 years ago, but finally got around to putting a "real" roof on it this summer as well as a coat of paint. All I know is that I have a whole new appreciation for the dudes who shingle roofs for a living- wanna talk about hard work? It took me the better part of a Sunday afternoon to do this little job- I can't imagine doing this on a regular basis under a hot, humid 90 degree sky. UGH!

As for our backyard swing, the frustrating story here is that I literally had to paint this stupid thing three different times due to the fact that each time I finished its initial coat- the wonderful northeastern Ohio rains came- with no warning, I might add! So, with 3+ coats of paint plus a layer of water-proofing, I can finally enjoy my late-night campfires via the cedar swing.

And finally, even if this doesn't look like all that much work, laying/ leveling these cement blocks and gravel took a good deal of time...but not too much for the beloved family canine...

2008-07-12T07:55:00.009-04:00

Allegany ‘08

Our quaint little cabin was a far cry from the Residence Inn that we stayed at towards the end of the week, but the kids had a great time playing in the creek, swimming, hiking, and cooking out over a fire.

We all left Sunday afternoon and arrived at our villa around 6 in the evening. Although it was equipped with a stove and refrigerator, indoor plumbing was not a luxury for us. Luckily, the bathhouse was a very short walk away, so it wasn’t too big a deal. We spent the afternoons at the Redhouse Area Lake swimming, paddle boating, and eating ice-cream. For me, I enjoyed the drive over to the lake as much as the boating and swimming. It was a meandering, 25 minute loop through the state park to get to the lake, and since the weather was spectacular, we all crammed into the Wrangler and enjoyed the windy ride.

My brother-in-law’s family has vacationed here for well over 40 years, so it’s a type of reunion for not only his family but the many friends that they have made in this remote- yet absolutely beautiful part of New York. No doubt, little Sarah provided the entertainment each night at the campfires. Marshmallows appeared to be her food of choice, and I’m guessing her sugar intake for the week far surpassed what most sane parents would want their children to consume.

I have to say the highlight of my week was the four mile trek that the little guy and I tackled on Tuesday. At first, I feared that it might be a tad ambitious for Josh, but with his very cool Allegany Park souvenir walking stick in hand, he was a trooper and the two of us had some real quality father-son time together as we completed the trail in just a little over two hours. I’m not sure if I ever have engaged in a two hour- non-stop conversation with my son before- actually, he did most of the talking…with topics ranging from his friends at school, favorite foods, middle-child blues, which I could relate to!, Biblical stories, and the nagging concern as to whether or not I knew where we were going, which truthfully, I had my own doubts at times. This was not a clearly marked trail like we have back home in the metro parks. About 1 mile before the end, Josh and I came across a young doe standing less than 100 feet away- amazing! The only time Josh complained was when we finished the trail only to find out that we had a one mile walk back to the campsite. Believe me, by that time, I too was dragging butt. However, this will be one of those experiences with the little guy that I’ll look back on later in life and truly cherish.

After three 3 ½ days of roughin’ it, we drove ½ way back to Erie PA on Wed. afternoon and enjoyed a much needed good night’s rest in the Residence Inn- after playing laser-tag that evening. For anyone who has never played this game before, let me tell you…it takes about 10 minutes before you get this Rambo-type of adrenaline going, and you have one single goal in mind- don’t get shot and pick on the little guys cause’ they’re easier to catch!

The next morning, we hung out all day at the water park, Splash Lagoon before driving back to good ole’ Barberton. It wasn’t quite as nice as the ones up in Sandusky, but Marie and Josh appeared to have a ton of fun swimming from 10 in the morning till’ 7 at night. Not wanting to go yet, I convinced them that they were indeed water-logged enough and we needed to pack up and head on home. I know I was tired- course those two crashed no sooner we hit the interstate while I made the drive home in peace and quiet...all part of my master plan.

2008-07-12T07:05:00.000-04:00

What? No text-messaging up here? I can't handle it!

Love that chocolate ice-cream!

2008-07-03T08:15:00.001-04:00

Trust me, Dad...I won't toss her in the creek!
.

2008-07-02T17:45:00.005-04:00

Daddy Boot-Camp Day #3

Having all of July off from work, so far, so good. The three of us had an awesome day out at Silver Creek today. Couldn't have asked for nicer weather, and Sarah and Josh LOVED the sand beach. And I LOVED the two hour nap that the two year old took when we got home...only because I'm in the middle of painting a swing in the backyard...what a pain that has been, I might add!

2008-06-30T13:09:00.003-04:00

Birthday Shopping Spree

The little guy turned 7 last Friday and received a few gift cards as presents, so the three of us headed out to Target this morning. Josh knew he wanted the Indiana Jones Lego set, but the skateboard was kind of an impulsive purchase- not too sure what mom's reaction is going to be, however.

Josh and I figured that we'll blame it on the two year old (who by the way got her own special present today too- a Diego potty seat. (Can't you just see the contained excitement on her face?)

2008-06-24T20:00:00.005-04:00

Roller Coaster Tycoons

Unbelievable...what began the day by riding the kiddie bumper cars evolved into a whirlwind of inaugural rides for Josh on the Gemini, Magnum, Mean Streak, and the Millennium's 300' first hill drop/ 90 mph ride! The little dude impressed his big sis with his bravery/ kindergarten Mojo while conquering Cedar Point's collection of coasters. Leave it to the 13 year old, though, to actually "pose" for the rider's photo action shot...Marie informed us that she knows the camera locations on all of the rides...such vanity...next thing you know, she'll probably start up her own blog!

We could not have asked for a more beautiful day. We all got to the park at 10 a.m. and stayed till closing. We had a brief 1/2 rain shower around 4, but Josh and I were currently getting drenched on one of the water rides at the time, so the rain really didn't bother us too much.

2008-06-15T21:08:00.002-04:00

Top Three "All Time" Father's Day Gifts

2008-06-14T21:41:00.006-04:00

Love Those Wings...

Ever sit through a 2 hour rain delay with a 6 year old? You know what they say about the best laid plans...

Our "game plan" was to arrive in Cleveland around 6:00ish and have dinner at the Winking Lizards- just a few blocks away from the stadium. Well, we got to downtown a bit later that I had wanted, and we were just finishing up our dinner/ watching on the TV in the restaurant as the Indians were batting in the bottom of the 1st inning. Josh and I no sooner watched Grady Sizemore hit his lead off inning home run...and then the rains came. Having already put away a heaping mound of chicken wings, I somewhat foolishly asked Josh if he had room for some dessert- knowing full well I wasn't about to head outside during the torrential downpour. So, about 1/2 hour/ chocolate brownie killer sunday later, we took off towards the stadium, with the rain subsiding a bit.

Josh was so looking forward to this evening- maybe not so much in watching the actual ballgame, but taking in the surroundings, visiting the gift shop, and watching the fireworks after the game. However, we weren't in our seats for more than 10 minutes, and the skies really opened up. By 9:30, there was no end in sight, so the little guy and I decided that we should call it a night and head home (after a quick stop in the team shop, of course)

We arrived back in Barberton by 10:00...just in time to hear Tom Hamilton on the radio announce that the tarp had just been pulled and the game was ready to resume...UGH! (Oh yeah, the Indians won 9-5)

2008-06-08T19:54:00.008-04:00

Road Trip

I can't say that I was thrilled to drive 225 miles only to see my beloved Tribe blow a 7th inning lead to the Tigers, but Comerica Park is really cool. I met my cousin Mike along with my sister Becky and her husband Troy up in Mo-town to watch the ballgame together. We couldn't have asked for better weather, and our seats were perfect- right over 1st base- Mezzanine level- with an awesome view of not only the stadium but also the Detroit skyline.

2008-06-05T06:54:00.001-04:00

"Congratulations! The faculty and staff of St. Matthew Parish School are delighted to recognize your child as last month's recipient of 'The Pride of St. Matthew.' This is a program to showcase students each month, who have caught the teacher's attention above and beyond the other students in their class. These children are the heart of our school community by providing exceptional role modeling and influence over their peers. The sense of "caring" they generate is infectious and must be nurtured to spread over all our boys and girls."

As I told Marie later that night after having received this letter in the mail- as important as grades are in school, equally important is your character and how others view you as a class leader- one who has a knack for showing compassion and helpfulness. No doubt, this was a transitional year for Marie as she transferred over to this school back in November, but she really did an exceptional job in embracing both the program and her new classmates...culminating with this end of the year award presented by her principal.

I couldn't be more proud of you, Marie.

2008-05-28T20:34:00.004-04:00

A Junior High Student and the kid brother...

2008-05-19T04:39:00.008-04:00

Cleveland Rite Aid Marathon 2008

Want to talk about lofty goals? Ethiopian long distance runner Retta Feyissa crossed the finish line at 2:33:34 to win the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. Prior to the weekend, I kept telling myself- somewhat humorously- that I have to beat this guy- and I did, well kind of. A co-worker- and avid runner- told me about a week ago that one of the cool things about running the 1/2 marathon is that you can usually have a similar finish time to the world class athletes who run the whole 26 mile course. So after standing in the holding pen for about 20 minutes, I began my trek around the Rock n' Roll capital of the world along with 10,000 other runners- 1/2 of whom who were participating in the 13.1 run.

With my feeble minded goal still at hand, I took off with a group of runners who represented the 4 hour pace team for the entire run. I figured- stick with this one dude- who had a bunch of balloons strapped to his shorts- and I can't go wrong. I'd be sure to cross the finish line in under 2 hours, which was truly what I had all along hoped to accomplish ever since I began to train back in December.

The start line was right by the Galleria, and we then proceeded down by the lake to pass the Rock Hall, Science Center, and Cleveland Browns Stadium before crossing over one of the bridges towards the Flats. So far, so good, but for the first time I started to feel some fatigue in my efforts to keep pace with balloon guy. I realized that if I was going to be able to finish this thing, I had better slow down just a bit. So looking over at the "pace team"- none of whom looked as if they had even broken a sweat...ugh!- I discreetly "let" them take the lead, and for the next mile or so watched them disappear from sight as we headed out towards Edgewater Park- hoping that the seagulls would swoop down and pop those utterly annoying balloons that were flip-flopping in front of me.

By the time we got to some extremely glitzy lakeside neighborhood before making the infamous U-turn to head back towards the downtown area, I had somehow managed to hook up with the 4:15 pace team. I can honestly say that I got my first true energy boost after the turn as I was able to see the Cleveland skyline once again and knew that I was over 1/2 finished. I was still feeling pretty strong, until we got back to the Flats area and had to begin the assent to another bridge. Once back into the downtown area (mile 10), for the first time my legs were really aching and my left hand started to tingle a little bit. (not sure what that was about...) Knowing that I had just 3 miles to go, I had no intention of stopping for a break now. Not to mention, the streets were crowded with spectators cheering the racers on towards the finish line.

The only part of the course that I was utterly annoyed with was the last mile. I knew the finish line was the same as the start- the Galleria; but to make the course 13.1 miles, you actually had to run past the shopping center for 1/2 mile and then make another U-turn down a side road to complete the run. All I know, is that THAT was THE longest mile I had ever run in my life.

But, 2:09:27 seconds later, I crossed the finish line- 15 minutes before my Ethiopian friend finished his 26 mile trek. I didn't make my two hour goal, but I was emotionally and physically spent and was so looking forward to heading back to the Hyatt hotel for a little siesta.

2008-05-13T05:32:00.001-04:00

Mountain from a Molehill

Well, kind of. Hoban has been the beneficiary of free dirt- compliments of the city and the University of Akron. In just two short years, Akron U. will showcase its new football stadium in the heart of its campus/ the downtown area, and if you would happen to wonder what the city did with all the dirt to make way for the new structure...look no further than Hoban's very own hillside... or what used to be our hillside. What has become the daily occurrence here at school is the sight of truck after truck dumping dirt/ building up the 5th Ave hill to a level plateau. No specific plans have been announced for this new-found land, but it will certainly give us growing room in the very near future.

2008-05-13T04:44:00.000-04:00

2008-05-10T20:23:00.005-04:00

Volleyball

Champs!

Well, I may never see a championship in my lifetime for my beloved Browns, Indians, and Cavs...but it's all good after Marie and her team-mates brought home the 7th grade CYO volleyball championship to St. Matthews School this afternoon. I can't tell you how nervous I was watching these young ladies as they battled it out with St. Augustine's, but they persevered and came away with the victory by taking two out of three games.

2008-05-05T20:43:00.003-04:00

Runnin' on Empty

I'm not having second thoughts about this...just some serious doubts about whether I can actually do this thing. This past Saturday I ran my longest practice run to date...9 miles, and I was pretty much spent afterwards. Honestly, I don't know how real "marathoners" do this on a regular basis. My race is in less than two weeks, and some how I need to muster up the energy to tack on another 4 miles in order to be able to complete the 1/2 marathon. A co-worker of mine, who has run this race before, told me that the coolest part of the 1/2 marathon is that the average finish time allows the runner to watch the professional marathon runners cross the finish line at the same time! That would be a 26 mile jaunt in the same amount of time that it will more than likely take me to finish 13...how depressing.

On a lighter note, Josh and Cindy attend the annual Mom Prom at St. Matthews this past weekend. I guess Josh was coerced into two slow dances with his mom, but spent much of the evening hanging with his kindergarten buddies, roaming the dance floor.

To cap off the weekend, Marie's team won their semi-finals tournament volleyball game, and will play for the CYO championship next Saturday. I have so enjoyed watching her team play this season- the girls really play well together, and they ended up posting the best regular season record in the league. Wish them good luck!

2008-04-27T20:01:00.005-04:00

Driver's Ed

Little Sarah Kay provided some intense instruction for her older sister on the fine art of maneuvering a 4 wheeler...I think she only rammed the tree about 1/2 dozen times.

2008-04-12T22:06:00.009-04:00

Father Daughter Dance

After dining at Anthe's restaurant, Marie and I headed over to St. Matthew's for the annual Father Daughter Dance. Evidently, about 125 "couples" had purchased tickets for this evening. A vast majority of the young ladies in attendance were the little ones from the primary grades, but Marie had 1/2 dozen of her girlfriends there as well.

Having been at the school now for amost 1/2 year, Marie has fit in beautifully- making a number of new friends, playing on the junior high volleyball team, and is doing exceptionally well in the classroom. I half-kidded her that this could be the first of many dances that we could attend together once she gets over to Hoban...I got that infamous 7th grade look of, "Uh yeah...we'll see...."

2008-04-07T20:10:00.000-04:00

Farmer Josh and his trusty sidekick

2008-03-31T20:33:00.003-04:00

Opening Day '08

What a difference a year makes...this time last March, I was sitting up at Jacob's Field in a snow blizzard only to see the home-opener get cancelled after 4+ hours of play/ delay. Even with the cruddy weather forecasts, today turned out to be a spectacular event at the newly renamed Progressive Field. The game had just about everything a baseball fan could ask for: homeruns galore, 13 opposing batters strikeouts, clutch hits, and yet another nail-biting save outing by Joe Borowski. Hey, we're in first place today...life is good.

2008-03-30T16:18:00.002-04:00

Goin' Topless

I was able to convince Marie that a nice balmy, overcast 45 degree day was the perfect opportunity to take the Jeep for a little spin- topless style! I never did get a demo from the dealership, so I got out my trusty manual and figured out how to dissemble the soft top myself. Fifteen minutes later, Marie and I were Ba-ha'n down Robinson Ave. It did get a little cold when we reached the highway...even with cranking the heat up, my hands got a pretty cold grasping the wheel and gear shift. Oh well, the price one has to pay in an attempt to look cool.

2008-03-27T18:45:00.006-04:00

Terrible Two's...(not really)

2008-03-23T16:39:00.003-04:00

Easter Morning

Josh and Sarah were up bright and early this morning to find their baskets and eggs that the Bunny had hid for them the night before. And then later in the day, the kids enjoyed a rare, sunny March day outside. Happy Easter everyone!

2008-03-23T16:25:00.000-04:00

2008-03-22T20:34:00.005-04:00

I'm Two!

Waking up bright and early this morning, I knew something special was in store for my 2nd birthday. Mom and Dad bought me a kitchen set- complete with the chef outfit- (they get such a kick out of dressing me up in goofy outfits, so I usually go along with "the game" and let them have their fun) The whole family came over later in the afternoon to join in on the celebration. Talk about a captivated audience....I was pretty much center stage all afternoon for these people, much to the chagrin of my ornery, older brother. I really impressed my folks by adding the words "two" and "nice" to my lexicon this past week. Gosh, I'm good...We capped the night off by coloring eggs for the Easter Bunny whom I told is going to hop in later tonight and leave some candy for me...oh, yeah!

-Sarah Kay

2008-03-22T20:16:00.004-04:00

Cake, Ice-Cream, and the Presents....

2008-03-14T15:14:00.008-04:00

Another Opening,

Another Show...

Well, I couldn't have been more proud of the little guy than his opening night performance of the musical, Something's Up on Damascus Road. Josh has practiced so hard over the last few months to get the lyrics down to all the songs that he was to sing in the show.

Last night's dress rehearsal was quite a bit of fun to sit back and watch unfold. Thinking back to all the dress rehearsals that I participated in- both in high school as a student actor and then later at Hoban as the director...the mistakes, mishaps, and forgotten lines/ blocking are all part of the journey in getting ready for opening night.

Josh's show was no different, but like most productions, it came together beautifully tonight and Josh was the star of the show, at least in my eyes. The little guy sang in about 8 songs and was probably on stage for more than 1/2 of the entire production. Falling asleep in the car on the way home tonight, he'll need his rest for tomorrow morning's final performance...

2008-03-09T17:38:00.003-04:00

Well, at least a foot and a half of snow is good for something....

By the way, these things are getting harder and harder to make the older and older I get...I'm a tad sore...)

2008-03-07T20:15:00.006-05:00

The Perfect Gift

With my dad's birthday falling the day after mine, my grandma and grandpa killed two birds with one stone- so to speak- and bought us an Expedition Jogging Stroller- complete with turbo booster features; actually, that all depends on how fast my ole' man can get his 41 year old frame movin' along the pavement. Our first race of the year is coming up in April- the Canal Park 3 mile race. In addition to running around the neighborhood with pops, I'm planning on entering a number of shorter races with dad...hopefully the old guy won't tucker out and leave me stranded somewhere...I'll be sure to bring my cell phone with me in case I need to text message mom to come get us.

-Sarah Kay

2008-02-24T18:52:00.011-05:00

Obama Rally

Well, I'm 41 and have never attended a political rally...until yesterday when I braved the elements and stood in line outside for 2 1/2 hours to hear Barack Obama speak at the John S. Knight Center in downtown Akron. 6,000 spots were made available on a first come, first served basis. With the speech scheduled for 6:00 and the doors opening at 4:00, I figured that it would be prudent to arrive around 3:00 to have a shot at getting into the convention center; this turned out to be a wise decision considering that there was probably somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of thousand folks already in line when I arrived downtown Saturday afternoon.

Part of the reason for the long wait had to do with the security detail by the secret service. Every single person had to be hand checked and pass through a metal detector before entering the main auditorium. By the time 5:30 rolled around, I think my feet were entirely frozen; not to mention, I was just a bit perturbed at the large number of folks who were line-cutting...especially considering the fact that not everybody in line was going to be able to get inside to see Barack. As it turned out, about 1,000 folks were herded into the lower level of the convention center and had to settle for watching the program on TV monitors while another 1,000 or so were sent away with no admittance at all.

But, I was one of the fortunate ones to stand about 200 feet away from the man whom I truly pray will be our next president. Barack spoke for about 50 minutes, and unlike the numerous polished televised interviews and debates that I've read/ watched over the past months, this man- on this evening- simply spoke from his heart- with no written speech in front of him- and hammered home the recurring theme of hope...hope that a young minority man from a broken lower-income level home could one day grow up and have the "audacity" of dreaming about the presidency of the United States.

I've never professed to be a political guru or an expert on domestic or foreign affairs, but I think I'm a pretty good judge of character...and here's a man, in my humble opinion, who undoubtedly displays an incredible amount of charisma and passion for this election/ office...and a genuine hope that history can be made with his candidacy...all I know is that I can share with my grandkids one day that I was there the day that Barack came to Akron to share his message of hope.

2008-02-18T13:19:00.004-05:00

Sarah's First Haircut

After lunch this afternoon, Sarah Kay and I visited the local salon for a first haircut. I wasn't sure if she would sit by herself, but she was fantastic. Famous Hair has a children's chair w/ a TV/ VCR setup, so Sarah's attention was occupied on Elmo in Grouchland while the hair stylist trimmed away. And of course, the ultimate reward for my little girl came when she got to choose a lollipop from the drawer. I'm guessing she'll want this same "do" for her senior prom in just a few years.

2008-02-06T21:14:00.000-05:00

A New Family Car

Sadly, my days as a bright red mini-van drivin' dad are over (sniffle, sniffle) In lieu of sinking a boat load of money into the van, which was pushing 140,000 miles, I felt the time had come to ship it off to the dealer's lot and get something a bit more dependable. So, I opted for the spacious backseat, fuel efficient, 1 1/2 square foot cargo area 2008 Jeep Wrangler 4x4. I LOVE this vehicle.

I really was pleasantly surprised how smooth and quiet the ride is- not to mention the 6 speed manual transmission/ 6 speaker Sirius satelite MP3 radio/ 16" off-road tires/ Sunrider collapsible soft-top features. Chrysler has come a long way to assimilte the Jeep to most SUV's- with the exception of the few inconviences already mentioned above. All I know is that I can't wait for the summertime- when I can rip the roof off and cruise around town basking in the sun....oh, yeah...The most enthusiasm for the new car came from- other than myself of course- my son, Josh- who gave me high accolades for such a sagacious purchase (I just now need him to relay this praise to his mother!) the little guy has already nicknamed it- the GI-Joe Jeep. The kid is back in the will.

2008-01-28T17:04:00.000-05:00

8th Kyu Blue Belt
January 26, 2008
Test Number 445

After an hour and a half test, the little guy came home Saturday morning with the Holy Grail of karate, an 8th Kyu Blue belt- at least in the eyes of a 6 year old. Josh's teacher told him that the bar has now been set a bit higher, and he's going to have to really work hard over the next year or so to reach the next color belt (green). Josh still really enjoys the classes, so I'm pretty confident that he'll stick with this. Way to go my little kung-foo karate dude!

2008-01-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

Too Much to Ask?

"No blinding insights emerged from these months of conversation. If anything, what struck me was just how modest people’s hopes were, and how much of what they believed seemed to hold constant across race, region, religion, and class. Most of them thought that anybody willing to work should be able to find a job that paid a living wage. They figured that people shouldn't have to file for bankruptcy because they got sick. They believed that every child should have a genuinely good education- that it shouldn't just be a bunch of talk- and that those same children should be able to go to college even if their parents weren’t rich. They wanted to be safe, from criminals and from terrorists; they wanted clean air, clean water, and time with their kids. And when they got old, they wanted to be able to retire with some dignity and respect.

That was about it. It wasn’t much. And although they understood that how they did in life depended mostly on their own efforts- although they didn’t expect government to solve all their problems, and certainly didn’t like seeing their tax dollars wasted- they figured that government should help.

I told them that they were right: government couldn’t solve all their problems. But with a slight change in priorities we could make sure every child had a decent shot at life and meet the challenges we faced as a nation. More often than not, folks would nod in agreement and ask how they could get involved. And by the time I was back on the road, with a map on the passenger’s seat, on my way to my next stop, I knew once again just why I’d gone into politics."

The Audacity of Hope
-Barack Obama

What a shame that presidential elections can’t be simplified and re-focused to address simple, relevant issues like these that directly affect our everyday lives. This is not an endorsement for one individual candidate…but rather a simple wish that whoever receives the nomination for president…he (or she) will embrace the notion that- when it comes right down to it- most all of us just want our kids to grow up well-educated, safe from harm’s way, and genuinely happy in life.

2008-01-17T20:39:00.001-05:00

Josh's Theatrical Debut

Well, the little guy will be performing on March 14-15 as he has landed a role in the Chapel Kids Ministry production of Something's Up on Damascus Road- a modern day tale where kids learn how to love and care for each other.

Josh attended his first rehearsal with the rest of the Straight Street Singers last night. In addition to Wednesday evening rehearsals, he has a choir camp scheduled for Feb 18 and two dress rehearsals the week of the performance. Wednesday have now become an evening for the two of us as we get to church around 5:30, have dinner together out in the atrium, and then both go to our own rehearsals. On the car ride home from practice, my son serenaded me with his first tune that he learned from the show..."I'm just a little squirt."

Get your tickets now...it's certain to be a hit! I know that I can't wait to see it.

2008-01-09T21:41:00.000-05:00

13 Miles...no big deal, right?

No whimping out for me now…I finally got around to registering online for the Cleveland 1/2 Marathon yesterday, so let the training begin through May 18th. Up until just a few weeks ago, I was still dragging my feet on this commitment, but having joined the new Barberton YMCA will serve as a wonderful alternative to running in sub-freezing temperatures over the next couple of months.

The program that I’m following provides me with a specific running/ mile count schedule as well as a target weight, which I’m currently about 15 pounds away from…ugh!!! Talk about a vote of confidence- or lack thereof- this online survey/ fitness profile that I completed the other day indicated that if I don't lose the weight/ clock the specified miles (@ 150 miles over a 10 week period), the possibility of me actually completing this run was somewhat remote at best. Oh well, I figure that come the day of the race, and after 10 miles or so I can't lift my legs for one more stride...I'll just hit one of the many pubs in the downtown area, kick back, feast on some chicken wings, and watch the "real" athletes conquer the course. Wish me luck.

2008-01-02T19:52:00.000-05:00

What I Did on My Winter Break...

I can honestly say that in the 17 years of teaching English, I never assigned this pathetically unoriginal theme to my students. Now to blog on this, though, is entirely different.

But as tempting as it is to lay out in minute detail how I bummed around my house for two weeks, I'll refrain. (Although, I did become quite proficient in assembling Josh's Star Wars/ Pirates Lego sets- each one with a minimum of 500+ pieces...ugh!) But instead, - as I just spent the last 15 or 20 minutes looking back at my 2007's posts, it struck me as to how easy it can be to forget all the things that go on in your life in just a year. So here's my top monthly highlights from this past year...

January: Josh's testing for his gold karate belt- the little dude was ecstatic!

February: Monster Jam at the Gund with Josh and Marie

March: Some old geyser turned 40

April: Tribe snowy home opener

May: trip to Boston for the Advancement Council seminar

June: Father's Day at the Jake with the little guy

July: Boettler Park Sand Volleyball with Sandman, Quick-Serve, and the rest of the gang

August: Back to school and learning the Admissions gig

September: The Labor of Love Run with Josh, and the Akron Roadrunner Relay Marathon Race with Maureen, Emily, Jeff, and Glen

October: Marie's 13th birthday on the Nautica Queen

November: Kalahari Thanksgiving- nothing like eatin' turkey in your swim trunks

December: Chapel Christmas Concerts and chillin' with the kids over the break

So what's ahead for 2008? I'm definitely, positively, without any doubt, going to run the 1/2 marathon in Cleveland. We all just joined the new YMCA that opened up in downtown Barberton, and I'll do some running and light cross-training up through the end of February. Then- come March- I've got a program that I intend to follow to build up the stamina that I'll need to complete the 13 mile race. I'm hoping that I can convince a certain piano guy that I know to run the race with me this year...we'll see.

Secondly, I'm going to continue my Bible study with Greg. I started an on-line Bible blog site last year at this time, and God love Greg, he has stuck with me for an entire year. We've gotten almost all the way through the history books (we're currently on Nehemiah), and then the game plan is to tour the gospels throughout the Lenten period. No doubt I would not have persevered with this project had I not had somebody to bounce ideas off of...again, thanks so much for sticking with me on this Greg.

Thirdly, I'm going to make a concerted effort to set aside time each week- more than likely when the kids go to bed- to really hone my guitar skills- or lack thereof. I'm privileged to be able to play with such incredible musicians, and there is so much that I want to be able to do on the acoustic- it just takes that dreaded "p" word...practice, practice, practice.

And then I guess I'll keep blogging away. Hard to believe, but this will be my 242nd post, as I started in December 2005. What began as a unique little hobby has really taken off for me as an opportunity to reflect on the events and people in my life. It's fun and it keeps me out of trouble.

2007-12-26T22:07:00.000-05:00

Whuddya Mean

Christmas is Over?

2007-12-26T21:42:00.000-05:00

Christmas Down South...

We spent the weekend before Christmas down in Marietta visiting Cindy's folks. Saturday was a gorgeous day (at least for a December day in Ohio), and both Josh and Marie enjoyed riding one of the four-wheelers. Sunday morning came fairly early as Josh bounced out of bed in anticipation of a Christmas morning with his grandparents. The mound of presents were a bit overwhelming- even for Josh- but he, Sarah, and Marie managed to make the morning last for a fair amount of time. By far, one of Josh's favorite gifts was his scooter, and Ms. Sarah simply adored her baby doll that her grandma had bought for her.

Watching my son interact with his Grandpa Gerber is a real treat for me. Here's a man who truly enjoys his grand-kids. It's obvious that Fred cherishes the time that he gets to spend with his grandson- evidenced by the time that he spends on the floor playing Lego's/ games with Josh; taking him outside to ride on the four-wheeler/ trekking up the hillside for an afternoon walk with the little guy; or just taking in all the energy (and conversation) that Josh has to offer. Josh is constantly asking me when the next time will be that he'll get to spend time with his Grandpa Gerber...and I'm guessing Fred feels the same way.

2007-12-23T23:55:00.001-05:00

Twas' the Night Before Christmas

2007-12-18T06:40:00.001-05:00

Dear Santa,

Define Good...

2007-12-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

Santa Baby...

Just slip a sable under the tree- For me- Been an awful good girl Santa Baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight...ba boom, ba boom, ba boom, ba boom

2007-12-15T21:51:00.000-05:00

Chapel Christmas 2007:

The Nativity

We just finished up the Christmas concerts this evening...even with the cruddy weather, we had a fairly large crowd at the 7:00 performance. Like last year, I was simply blown away at the talent level of our singers. Kenton and Emily did a phenomenal job of pulling this whole thing together; I am so incredibly proud to be part of this 100+ ensemble of singers, orchestra/ praise band players. Many of them are like family to me, and I feel incredibly privileged to be able to worship with them each Sunday.

It's hard to believe, though, that after all the individual practicing and group rehearsals, it's all over. This year, we had a Celtic flavor to the concerts- complete with a group of young Irish dancers who accompanied a few of our songs. I think the pivotal song of the entire concert was a tune entitled How Many Kings. A follow-up message by our pastor answered the question, How many kings would give up their thrones for us? The answer? Just one, and his birthday is in about two weeks.

2007-12-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

Some winter humor...

2007-11-30T20:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa,

F.Y.I. That whole "naughty or nice" thing is soooooo yesterday....