The Rules of Liverpool

1. One of the things that the Brave Astronaut Clan has been doing during this time of quarantine is playing a card game popular in our family, Liverpool.  It is a contract rummy game that was taught to us years ago by our cousin, while we were visiting our grandmother's house in Owl's Head, Maine.  It is a contract rummy game with a series of hands varying in melds.  A minimum of three players is required for the game.  The game is played with two decks, including jokers.  An additional deck is added for every two players (5 players, three decks, 7 players, four decks, etc.)

Here are the hands:

6: Two sets of three (three fours, three jacks, etc.)

7:  One set, one run (three of a kind, one straight flush - for all you poker players out there)

8:  Two runs

9:  Three sets

10:  Two sets, one run

11:  Two runs, one set

12:  Three runs (no discard)

Scoring:

• Aces and Jokers are 15 points each
• Face cards are 10 points each
• All other cards are face value

Rules:

1. There is no buying of cards in the first round.  Beginning in the second round, a player may buy the discard of a player out of order.  The discard goes to the next player to the left without penalty. If the next player to the left wishes to buy the card they may do so, with a penalty card from the top of the pile.  The right to purchase a card moves around to the left.  The player who originally discarded the card may conceivably repurchase the card if they wish to - if no one ahead of them wishes to purchase the card.
2. When using jokers, a set must contain at least two natural cards and a run must contain at least two natural cards.  If a joker is used in a run or as the third card in a set, the joker may be "stolen" by a player who holds the card for which the joker is holding the card's place (for example, 8, 9, Joker, Jack of clubs may be replaced with the 10 of clubs and used elsewhere on the board).  If the joker is placed on a set, the joker is "dead" and may not be taken.
3. In a hand where more than one run is required, runs of cards may be constructed in the same suit as long as they are separated by one card (for example, 4, 5, 6, 7 of hearts and 9, 10, J, Q of hearts.  Duplicate runs may also be constructed with overlap (for example, 5, 6, 7, 8 of spades and 7, 8, 9, 10 of spades).
4. As noted above by the numbers preceding the hands - that is the minimum number of cards required for each meld in the hands (6 - two sets of three cards each, 7, one set of three and one run of four, etc.).
5. Aces may be high or low, but not both, for example, J, Q, K, A of diamonds or A, 2, 3, 4 of diamonds, but not K, A, 2, 3.
6. For the first four hands, 10 cards are dealt, for the final three hands 12 cards are dealt.
7. Once a player goes down, a player may no longer purchase cards.  A discard may be picked up by a player who has gone down only if it can be immediately played on the tableau.  Only players who have gone down may play cards on the tableau.
8. In the final hand, no discard is allowed.  Only one player will go down in the final hand.  The card that is picked up, either from the discard pile or from the face down pile, must fit into the meld to end the hand.

Posts From A Pandemic

Today is Sunday May 10, 2020.  LBA's last day of attending school was Wednesday March 11.  SoBA's last day when he was present in school was Friday March 13.  Mrs. BA's last day in the office was Tuesday March 18.  My last day in the office was Tuesday March 23.

As of tomorrow, we will be starting on our 8th week of quarantine under the stay at home orders in our state.  Mrs. BA and I have been 100% teleworking since coming home.  Both of the boys have been doing online schooling.

100% teleworking in my line of work is difficult - for those of you who know what it is I do (or do the same sort of work) - you get that - but I'm managing.

Here are some of the things that I have accomplished over the past eight weeks.

• Completed a finding aid for the Brave Astronaut Family Archives.  There is more work to be done - I am moving on to Mrs. BA's papers next.  I am also planning on working on the Special Media Archives for the Brave Astronaut Clan - I have possession of the family home movies on 8mm and have been meaning to putting them on DVD (I did it a while ago - but it needs to be redone).  I also have tons of photographs that I have plans to digitize - this was a goal during the government shutdown in 2019 - but I didn't get to it.  This will likely be a long term project and I'm looking at finding outside help to get this done.
• Other records management tasks undertaken involved updating the Brave Astronaut Library on Library Thing - the collection is only about 500 books.
• I'm trying to get out a walk a little each day.  My FitBit mocks me each weekday - I have reminders set up to make sure that I get up and move each hour.  As a result of this, I've gone from an average of 6,000 steps a day to less than 2,000.
• I'm sleeping well (not as good or as much as LBA - who is going to bed late and getting up even later - ah, the life of a teenager).  I also started out by not setting an alarm but am now trying to get out of bed by 8:00am - that allows me to get to work by about the same time (no more commuting!).  
• Speaking of work - I am doing what I can under the circumstances - as I often note, it is hard for me to do my job without being with the records, but it has allowed all of us to do some stuff that we don't normally get to do and we are managing the best we can.  It has been said that we aren't necessarily working from home - we are managing the best we can while staying at home.
• Mrs. BA is working from home in the bedroom in the basement - collectively known here at the Launchpad as the Sewing Palace.  She started out working at the kitchen table but the distraction of people walking by the house proved too much.  She has also produced hundreds of protective masks for the local hospital, part of a local group here in town that has been providing needed masks to local frontline providers.
• Both of the boys are doing online schooling - LBA has an A day and an B day - the B day involves a math class, which doesn't really have an online component, lunch, gym, and band - so his B days are definitely less taxing.  LBA has about two weeks of school left.
• I go grocery shopping every two weeks or so.  The new normal is of course, waiting on line and then making one's way around a store.  I've described grocery shopping in this time as what it would have been like to shop in the Soviet state, if it was in the market, it went in the cart.  It didn't matter what it cost, if it was there and maybe we could use it, I bought it.  I also have been giving gift cards to the checkout staff - because they are working under extremely trying circumstances.
• The four of us are playing a lot of cards, specifically Liverpool.  As of today we have played about 30 games.  The next post contains the rules of the game.  One other thing that has taken place during this time - is that Mrs. BA has created a database of games played by the extended Brave Astronaut Clan (I have been the official scorekeeper of games since 2003 - dutifully recorded in notebooks - the first volume has been accessioned into the family archives.)
• Interior Home Improvement (working from the top down):
• Attic:  I moved some stuff around, I got rid of stuff (including sending two boxes of shirts to my sister to make quilts for LBA and SoBA).  I also have three bags of school uniforms that don't fit SoBA any longer - but no one is going to be needing school uniforms anytime soon.  There was some talk about putting the Christmas lights back up, which are stored in the attic - that's certainly an option - I could get a jump on the town lights contest for 2020. (The lights discussion reminds me of my idea for a set of lights that could be changed based on the holiday / season (Feburary: pink/red, March: green, April pastels, May, June, July: red, white, and blue, August: ?, September ?, October: orange, November, orange, December: multi, red-green)
• BA Bedroom: I'd like to install a closet system.  The kitties have clawed a hole in the mesh of the box spring and we are going to lay a piece of plywood to cut off access to their favorite lair.  I'd also like to paint.
• Bathroom: I'd like to remove an old tile towel holder and also repair a missing tile space (from where the other tile towel holder was).
• LBA bedroom: in pretty good shape.
• SoBA bedroom: he needs curtains.
• Living Room:  I've hung some new artwork, and I would really like to replace the furniture with a set that somewhat matches.  Currently the couch, 2 chairs, 2 end tables, and coffee table are all different.  The pieces of furniture that are staying are my mother's desk (command control for the Launchpad and my home office) and my father's bar (which could benefit from refinishing).  I'd also like to paint.
• Dining Room:  I've wanted to replace the dining set for a long time.  Wayfair is my new best friend.
• Kitchen:  I've done some routine organizing.  I pulled out the drawer where the ziploc bags live and found that nearly 40 gallon size ziploc bags had fallen behind the drawer.  Mrs. BA and I are contemplating replacing the microwave and I'd like to replace the dishwasher - then all of the appliances will be stainless.  And the kitchen needs painting.
• 1/2 bath: I'm proud to say that just yesterday I replaced the fill valve and the flapper on the toilet and did not flood the house or otherwise screw it up.  I also need a piece of replacement glass for a shelf or two new shelves for the bathroom.  There's also the matter of the window, which LBA broke part of, probably 5 years ago.
• Laundry Room:  I've wanted to replace the utility sink for some time. Earlier this week I replaced the furnace filter and switched over from heat to A/C, then it got cold again.  Go Home Mother Nature, you're drunk.
• Family Room:  I've hung some new artwork in the family room - but I'd really like to paint and there is another poster print that someone gave us for our anniversary that would look good there, but wall space is becoming precious.  I'd also like to replace the sofa bed with a new one.
• Basement bath: recently painted - there's not much to do here.
• Basement bedroom:  Currently the domain of Mrs. BA and the Sewing Palace, I'd like to get in there and paint.
• Archives and Under Foyer area: the archives are currently being processed (see above) and the under foyer area needs some additional organization - though I have already been through there once.
• Exterior Home Improvement: Part of my day involves opening the front door and looking out at the yard or the house and think about what it is I would like to do.  The big ideas involve building a new shed toward the back of the yard, demolishing the existing shed, and extending the existing deck off the kitchen to the porch.  What I am hoping to do is paint the screened in porch (replacing all of the screens, which already have holes in them, so it's needed), possibly replacing the screen door, painting the brick, the floor, the ceiling, and the metal trim.
• Yard Work: I think that I mowed the lawn for the earliest time ever - I pulled out the lawn mower on March 31.  I have mowed the lawn several times already and the lawn service has been by a few times to fertilize the lawn.  Unfortunately the moles may be back and are not adhering to their stay at home order.

I've also come to the realization that I don't own enough loungewear.  How are you?

LBA and SoBA new Bedroom

It's almost time for LBA and SoBA to move into the same bedroom. They currently have their own rooms and beds but we are planning to move them into bunk beds in the same room. The other bedroom will become a playroom / dressing room for them.

There is currently a lot of discussion between Mrs. BA and I about what color the room(s) should be painted. Maybe we could choose from one of these. Although Mrs. BA does have some ideas - and I'm evidently not allowed to pick the color. Allegedly, the last time I painted a bedroom, it came out pistachio green.

Barring some large cash infusion, LBA and SoBA's new bedroom will not have a water slide like this bedroom does. Both LBA and SoBA like Star Wars but there will be none of these (that I'm aware of). I'm not spending $500 for the book. Nor will have have a giant Calvin and Hobbes mural.

Sunday Dinner - Monday Recipe

Last night, the Brave Astronaut family sat down to a nice Sunday dinner. Given how cold it was outside (I had even built a fire in the fire place earlier) - it was nice to have a good "stick to your ribs" kind of meal. Chili or stew would have worked, but we went with a nice roast beef with roasted potatoes.

While this is not a "full-on" recipe, it does the job if you want to follow it. As I have noted before, I am more of an "adventurous" cook - flying without a net, so to speak.

Roast Beef and Roasted Potatoes
(I used a nice tied top round - purchased at the lovely, new Wegmans!)

Preheat the oven to 45o degrees. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Place in roasting pan on a rack that raises it slightly off the bottom of the pan. Roast at the high heat for 15 minutes. While the roast is cooking, cube some potatoes (I used both russet and gold) and toss with some olive oil and spices (I used salt, pepper, some rosemary, thyme, and a splash of sage). I also cubed an onion and threw in some cloves of garlic.

After 15 minutes, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Place the potatoes in the roasting pan around the meat and return to the oven. Occasionally, stir the potatoes and, if you like, pour a tiny amount of red wine on the meat, but not too much to "drown" the potatoes.

The potatoes will need about an hour to cook and the roast can be taken out to rest when the internal temperature is between 120 and 130 degrees (for rare). Let the roast rest for about 10-15 minutes before carving.

I used the rest time to turn the broiler on for the potatoes to crisp them up a little. Watch them carefully so they don't burn.

I also whipped up a quick red wine gravy to serve with the meat.

• some red wine
• some water
• I used a concentrated packet of chicken broth (use beef if you have it)
• some "brown gravy flavoring" (my mother used to use something called "gravy master" and there is also bovril)
• some corn starch to thicken

Whisk all ingredients together and bring to a simmer. Serve and enjoy!

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

[full disclosure - I wrote this post in advance (and for that matter - have posted this story before) but I am quite sure that when this post goes live, I will be at home - with my two boys safely sleeping in their rooms - making sure that everything is ready for Christmas morning here at the launchpad. Mrs. BA is surely around somewhere, but I am likely taking a moment, sitting on the couch in the living room looking at the tree, with some Christmas music playing in the background. I will look over at the ceramic trees sitting on the mantle and think about how much I miss my mother (Christmas was her favorite holiday). Then it will be time to head to bed for Santa is surely circling the house waiting for no creatures stirring before he lands on the roof. LBA and SoBA have put out some cookies and milk for him and left some carrots for the reindeer.

You see, I believe in Santa Claus. Yes, I understand that all of the Santas that you see around at this time of year are not him, they just work for him. The real Santa exists, he is always there. My very best wishes to everyone out there for a very Merry Christmas and Peace and Love in the new year. Love to my wife, the very best one out there, my two wonderful boys, and to my family and friends. I hope that you will always hear the bell, as I do.]

From the Editorial Page of the New York Sun, 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor-
I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

Virginia O'Hanlon

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies. You might get your papa to have men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive of imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest mean, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, poetry, love romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.

No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

If you are interested, here is the rest of the story.

Francis P. Church’s editorial, “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus” was an immediate sensation, and went on to became one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the The New York Sun in 1897, almost a hundred years ago, and was reprinted annually until 1949 when the paper went out of business.

Thirty-six years after her letter was printed, Virginia O’Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter:

“Quite naturally I believed in Santa Claus, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn’t any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject.

“It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in The Sun. Father would always say, ‘If you see it in the The Sun, it’s so,’ and that settled the matter.

“ ‘Well, I’m just going to write The Sun and find out the real truth,’ I said to father.

“He said, ‘Go ahead, Virginia. I’m sure The Sun will give you the right answer, as it always does.’ ”

And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents’ favorite newspaper.

Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Francis P. Church. Son of a Baptist minister, Church had covered the Civil War for The New York Times and had worked on the The New York Sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. Church, a sardonic man, had for his personal motto, “Endeavour to clear your mind of cant.” When controversal subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were usually given to Church.

Now, he had in his hands a little girl’s letter on a most controversial matter, and he was burdened with the responsibility of answering it.

“Is there a Santa Claus?” the childish scrawl in the letter asked. At once, Church knew that there was no avoiding the question. He must answer, and he must answer truthfully. And so he turned to his desk, and he began his reply which was to become one of the most memorable editorials in newspaper history.

Church married shortly after the editorial appeared. He died in April, 1906, leaving no children.

Virginia O’Hanlon went on to graduate from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts degree at age 21. The following year she received her Master’s from Columbia, and in 1912 she began teaching in the New York City school system, later becoming a principal. After 47 years, she retired as an educator. Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial. Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died on May 13, 1971, at the age of 81, in a nursing home in Valatie, N.Y.

Summer Blockbusters

With the first snowfall here in the DC area, it is as good a time as any to trot out this list of Top Summer Blockbusters (seen first on kottke, from Time Out New York to help warm you up. It is also Pizza / Movie night at the launchpad and on screen tonight is likely to be The Empire Strikes Back (#7 on the list below) possibly with a Christmas special appetizer. It is going to be SOOOO TINSEL!

Here's the list of 30. According to Time Out the movies are ranked as "the biggest fun machines of all time: the movies designed for maximum impact."

Feel free to discuss in the comments.

1. Jaws (1975) - clearly the Summer Movie Blockbuster of all Blockbusters.
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - "Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?"
3. Star Wars (1977) - the first, the original, the only one really worth watching (and by the way, that is the proper title - none of this "New Hope" crap.
4. Ghostbusters (1984) - another popular choice in the Friday movie lineup.
5. E.T. (1982) - not one of my favorites.
6. Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004) - the movie / documentary that almost swung an election.
7. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
8. Terminator 2 : Judgment Day (1991) - really?
9. Face/Off (1997) - um, really, really?
10. Aliens (1986) - don't know if I would put this higher on the list from the original
11. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) - I'll give them this one. The third was possibly the best of the trilogy.
12. Jurassic Park (1993) - nothing says summer like man-eating dinosaurs
13. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1998) - this was an OK movie, but it's getting a little better with age.
14. Die Hard (1988) - I just saw an article that listed this as a Christmas movie. Well kinda sorta, I guess it is.
15. Total Recall (1990) - The Governator gets another movie on the list?
16. The Truman Show (1998) - If only we'd known this would spark "real" reality television, we might have smothered this film.
17. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) - I know I speak blasphemy to many, but Harry Potter is just not my thing.
18. Animal House (1978) - "Thank you sir, May I have another!"
19. Batman (1989) - In this case, the first is the best.
20. Gladiator (2000) - A Hero Will Rise
21. Pirates of the Caribbean : The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) - I'm kinda not a big fan of the Depp.
22. Gremlins (1984) - Again, a Christmas movie in the summertime.
23. In the Line of Fire (1993) - Good for you, Clint, finally getting on this list.
24. Star Trek (2009) - in this case, the last is one of the best.
25. Wall-E (2008) - pass.
26. The Dark Knight (2008) - It comes close to being as good as the first one, but only because of Heath Ledger.
27. Back to the Future (1985) - A great film that on my list would be higher than here.
28. X-Men (2000) - a lot of the superhero genre is lost on me.
29. Armageddon (1998) - again, Bruce Willis!
30. Independence Day (1996) - Mr. Summer Blockbuster, Will Smith, gets the final entry.

So What's Your Day Look Like

Okay, so I'm going to complain here a little bit. Now I know we are all busy and much of this is my own fault. But perhaps you can see something here and have an idea for me . . .

The normal weekday starts at the Brave Astronaut launchpad between 6:00am and 7:00am. The time varies because (a) the alarm clock(s) go off at 6:00, but the snooze button gets punched by both Mrs. BA and I (for a better understanding of why - see the end of the post - when we actually get to bed) a few times and (b) if LBA and SoBA are still asleep, there is less of an impetus for us to get up. Hey, if they're not calling for us, we don't have to get up, right? LBA has possibly already entered his teenage years as he often needs to be awakened, but SoBA is usually up in the 6:00 hour (and why is it that they can all sleep late on weekdays but not on weekends?).

Mrs. BA gets the shower first and I head downstairs for breakfast time. Breakfast time involves, well, breakfast, getting car snacks together, and if feeling particularly productive, lunch for Mrs. BA and the Brave Astronaut to take to work. The boys head upstairs a few minutes ahead of me and I quickly cleanup the kitchen and then head upstairs to shower and dress. I have managed to hone my morning routine to the point of once I get upstairs, I can be ready to walk out the door in about 15 minutes. Mrs. BA works on corralling the boys through the final steps of their morning routines.

Of late, the Brave Astronaut clan has been all leaving the house together, with me driving the boys to school and Mrs. BA to work and then I head to my office. Somehow, as long as we leave before 8:00am, that entire process takes about one hour and fifteen minutes from house to my office. If it is after 8:00, add about another half hour to the trip. SoBA gets dropped off first (by Mrs. BA), then I take LBA to his center. I come back and pick up Mrs. BA and take her to her office. Then its the hike back out to Maryland to my office. I don't mind this as I like us all being together and come the fall, it's all going to change anyway (LBA will start Kindergarten in town, while SoBA will still be going downtown with Mrs. BA).

Once at work, (currently) my day starts between 9:00 and 9:30. This means that I will not leave until between 5:30 and 6:00pm and I'll address in a moment why that's a problem. My current workload has plenty to keep me busy and unfortunately, I spend much of my days keeping the smoldering embers of things I need to get done from roaring into uncontrolled conflagrations. There's meetings, administrative functions, and other responsibilities that pushes me into making a series of lists (a To-Do list for the week, a daily To-Do list, long range goal lists, timetables and schedules). I would likely benefit from a time management course.

Leaving the office, if it's a day like it has been of late, I am going to head to the Metro station to pick up Mrs. BA and the boys from the train, as they have taken the Metro home. Ideally, I would have (and have in the past) gone home first to get dinner started for the boys (and if there's plenty of time - for Mrs. BA and me). With the summer months upon us, it's OK for the boys to play outside in the yard while I get dinner together. I would like to be more diligent about menu planning and making use of "timed cooking" (i.e., a crockpot or using the timer in our oven), but that hasn't happened yet.

Once dinner finishes up, it is usually coming up on 8:00 and that means bath time and bed for the boys. Mrs. BA graciously takes on that task (baths) and then the boys will usually settle in for a show (current favorites: Arthur and Cyberchase, and the occasional Thomas). Then the boys will get a few books read to them and it is off to bed. SoBA is a very good sleeper and goes to bed very easily. LBA still needs a little encouragement but both boys are usually down and out by 9:30 at the latest.

So finally, it's grown-up time. Mrs. BA and I are both TV addicts and we would certainly like to just veg out in front of the tube and watch something (we have an extensive list of shows of our own on the DVR list). We both usually wind up working on our computers, although it's possible that I might spend a fair amount of time on Facebook, playing CafeWorld or Lexulous. I can't tell you why, but CafeWorld is mindless entertainment and it relaxes me. Mrs. BA is usually dealing with laundry, as that task never ends, with two small boys in the house. Some nights, I or Mrs. BA will announce we are "up," which means we are heading to be, sometimes with the computer, sometimes not. Now because we are not smart people, there is a TV in the bedroom and it will most of the time get switched on. We will often get sucked into some bad "B" movie, the occasional "A" movie, or a rerun of an old sitcom. What that results in is lights out usually around midnight. And then it starts all over again just six short hours later.

Next week, I'll talk more about some of the specific things I am involved in and discuss the things I would like to be doing and things I really should be doing. Feel free to comment away.

I Aint Afraid of No Ghost.

It's another lazy Saturday here at the Brave Astronaut launchpad. Mrs. BA went off this morning to do some work at the Library of Congress, leaving me to look after LBA and SoBA. I am still attempting to shake something off (perhaps its a reaction to my H1N1 vaccine or just the fact that I haven't slept well in about three days) but I soldiered on. The weather was somewhat cooperative and the gang headed out into the backyard to play. Just about every ball in the inventory was thrown out into the backyard by SoBA (footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, all of them). We were soon joined by the neighbor children (AKA the "Hooligans"). The soccer ball saw some use as did the baseball and bat. I nearly took a line drive off my head, hit by LBA. How long till Pitchers and Catchers report?

We came inside to have some lunch and unfortunately only SoBA got to have naptime (though I could have so closed my eyes for a bit). LBA and I adjourned to the TV room to follow our normal SoBA naptime ritual - the movie. Last night's movie night featured "Dorothy" AKA The Wizard of Oz, and today, LBA requested Ghostbusters. Because "I'm five now and big boys like scary movies - so I won't be scared."

We've watched Ghostbusters before (it's also a favorite of J in PA and Special K, when they have come to visit). Evidently we are not alone in loving Ghostbusters. The film, which just turned 25, is being pushed as better than Star Wars and its ilk. I don't know if I would go that far, but that's what this article by a British journalist maintains in the Times Online (seen first on kottke, last June). In September, kottke also raised the question that perhaps 1984 was by far one of the greatest years ever for film.

Kottke includes a partial list (just look):

• Beverly Hills Cop
• Ghostbusters
• Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
• Footloose
• Purple Rain
• Revenge of the Nerds
• Red Dawn
• The Terminator
• Sixteen Candles
• This Is Spinal Tap
  

So here we are - 2010

It's a new year. 2010. A new decade . . . although Mrs. BA debates that point, but that's a different story. Looking back over my recent posts, I see that I have somewhat neglected Order from Chaos. I have several draft posts which need a little more fleshing out and several Monday recipes ready to go so there has been some content out there. Would you all miss me if I stopped blogging? This would be the point where you go and leave a comment and say yes. Placate me.

I am going to try and be better about my time management this year. My day is fairly well structured in its unstructuredness. The Brave Astronaut clan starts its day with Mrs. BA in the shower and me getting breakfast for LBA and SoBA. On many mornings - and I/we had a conversation with LBA just last night about this - instead of "good morning" from LBA when he pitter-pats into our room in the morning, we often get, "Can I watch a show?" Perhaps LBA's New Years Resolution will be less TV, he just doesn't know it yet. Some mornings we also get a request for "I want Mommy to give me breakfast," meaning I'm in the shower first. But however it shakes out, we all try to be out of the house by 8:00. That's the goal. (Yesterday our day started much earlier, but I'd rather not relive that anytime soon.) Of course, if we are running late and I help Mrs. BA and the boys get on their way and I haven't showered yet, I often fall victim to "The West Wing," which is on Bravo each morning. Though I can time it that I can get my shower done during one of the interminable commercial breaks.

Once at work, I have more than enough to keep me busy. My goal this year is to be more productive and so far I am doing pretty well in that regard. My To Do List is rather lengthy, but I'm working the problems. I would like to say that I plan to build a lunchtime visit to the Fitness Center back into my work day, but for now, that is not in the cards.

The evenings involve getting dinner together for the family, as I am the one who is home first. On some occasions, I can manage to get dinner for the boys together and Mrs. BA and I will forage later after they are in bed. That would be another New Years Resolution, plan and execute more family dinners. It's one of my most favorite times of the day. I like us all sitting around together. LBA is at the age where he has a lot to say and much of it is amusing and I like talking with him about his day. SoBA is close to talking and he has many words and expressions to convey what it is he needs or wants.

Next, the boys get baths (most nights) and then it's off to bed. I often get SoBA, who is the easier of the two to get to bed (it's getting him to stay there all night, but that's a different story), which involves a story or two, perhaps part of a show on TV, and then he willingly goes off to bed. While still in a crib, the big boy bed is coming, I think, this summer. LBA gets a few stories, after a show, and then goes to bed. By this time it is close to 9:00 and there is still a lot to accomplish, let alone things that I (or Mrs. BA) would like to do.

The siren call of the computers often get the best of us and we are often working (or playing on Facebook - in my case) on our laptops, while watching something on TV. However, there are a number of archival projects that I would like to accomplish this year. I have started working on the family archives of late and next up will be a rather extensive project to gain intellectual control of the Brave Astronaut photo collection. Anybody have a scanner I can borrow?

There are of course any number of things that could be accomplished around the house. We have been there a little over two years now and I guess it's time to start dealing with some routine maintenance. I'd like to do a little painting and I would really love a new shed. Spring cleaning may get interesting at the launchpad.

None of the above are excuses for my neglecting the blog. But it is a bit of a declaration as to why I might not be here as much as I would like over the next few months. But don't worry, I won't be far. And there's always recipe Mondays so you know I'm still around. I have a post (still in my head as of today) that I will put out this weekend as Christmas comes to an end at the Brave Astronaut launchpad (watch for the Loot List!) and a number of draft posts, which I mentioned earlier, which I hope to get ready to roll out soon. And then there's all those starred items in my Google Reader . . . why is it that I can't be afflicted with insomnia again?

The Brave Astronaut Christmas / Holiday cards went out late this year. If you were not a recipient of the "official" card this year, please accept my sincere wishes to you and yours that you had a great holiday and that 2010 holds for you nothing but health and happiness.

Christmas is Coming

It's Black Friday. I'm off, but not anywhere near a store. I'm home today looking after the boys, as their daycare is closed. Mrs. BA is off at work and I am thinking about getting the decorations out for Christmas. I'll probably hang the lights on the house this weekend. Maybe I'll multi-task and clean the gutters as I hang the lights. I don't know if my house will look like the one on the left, but it surely won't look like the one on the right.

I also have to get out the Christmas card list and get that process started as well. I lost the electronic version of the list when my computer failed earlier this year, but have been able to recreate it from an earlier version that Mrs. BA had on her computer.

The Brave Astronaut clan will likely travel for Christmas, heading for New York to see my father and hopefully my brother and sister, who will travel from their homes. My other sister lives in New York and it hopefully will mark a Christmas where we are all together for the first time in several years.

I have a few gifts to buy for the boys and Mrs. BA. I have one gift for her already but would like to have a few more under the tree as well. Speaking of trees, the Brave Astronaut and the OSG family will go out hunting for a tree next weekend. It's sure to be another great adventure.

I am participating in an Internet gift exchange, courtesy of Stinkypaw. I need to get that wrapped up so my recipient gets their gift in time for Christmas day. As mentioned here previously, Christmas is my favorite holiday, as it was my mother's also. I am looking forward to this special season and wish everyone the very best for this holiday season.

Crime Wave at the Brave Astronaut Launchpad

Loyal readers may recall that Brave Astronaut was a crime victim shortly after moving into our great little town. We rebounded from that and have had no incidents since. Until this weekend. In the Brave Astronaut backyard, we discovered that two of the trees planted by our predecessors were plum trees and were bearing fruit this year (evidently it takes plum trees three years to decide to fruit). There is also a sour cherry tree, but I missed those, as they had all become dry, shriveled black dots.

I had been enjoying the fruit with my lunch and LBA had great fun plucking plums off the tree to eat in the yard on a comfortable summer evening. My neighbors were beneficiaries as well, as I shared with them a bag of the bountiful plums. I enjoyed the last of the ones I had picked on Monday with my lunch and Monday evening went out to pick a new bowlful of plums.

Much to my aggravation, every single plum was gone off the trees. Ripe ones, unripe ones, a few that had fallen off the trees to the ground, not one plum remained. There was no evidence of animals having done this (broken limbs, a gnawed plum on the ground, nothing) - it was clearly a human culprit. My neighbors did not see anything, but this clearly took place during the daylight and if only one person, they were in my backyard for at least 15-20 minutes. Yesterday evening, I emailed the Chief of Police to inform him of the situation. I didn't necessarily need to file a police report, I just wanted to let him know what was up.

Then this morning, I looked out on to my back deck and noticed a propane tank, which I had on the deck awaiting a fill up from a propane delivery service was missing. There were three tanks total and now there were only two. This obviously happened between 12:30am and 7:00am. I emailed the Chief again and received a very nice phone call from him.

I guess it's time to install a surveillance camera and perhaps an invisible electric fence. That might work. I'm aggravated by the whole thing, but I'll get over it. Sometimes, however, I feel like Nate Fisher from HBO's Six Feet Under, "I hate the living."

UPDATE: Mission Control has learned that my neighbor was confused about the delivery date for the propane and took back his tank early this morning. So no extra propane for him. Unless he gets on the Propane Taxi bandwagon.

Wolverines! A New Dawn Has Arrived

Tomorrow night, C in DC, ADR, and others will gather in the den of the Brave Astronaut to watch the "seminal movie of the 1980s" (ADR quote). Note for trivia buffs, Red Dawn is the first released movie to carry a PG-13 rating, although it is not the first movie to receive the PG-13 rating. This particular movie got it first and was released after Red Dawn. Any guesses?)

This movie was the topic of conversation at the lunch table on several occasions. This was magnified when it was learned that the "Collectors Edition" had been released. A few days later, I found myself in Costco and spotted the DVD right there among the newly released movies. I snatched up my copy and we have decided to have movie night at the Brave Astronaut pad. Normally Friday nights is movie night for LBA, but he is still at the beach with his cousins, so it's grownup movie night.

We are having pizza, mojitos (hey the Cubans are part of the invading armies), beer and wine. There might even be a dessert or two. If you're in the neighborhood, c'mon over. We're starting at 7:00.

Well there's this thing and this one, and that one

I had a lot to say. I have several posts queued up and ready to go. They need a little editing before they go out. And I'll get to them in do time. I need to feel the creative juices flow a little more before they are "perfect."

One thing I was going to report on tonight (when I learned that today was the anniversary) was the Iron Curtain speech by Winston Churchill, which took place on this date in 1946. Click here for a little .wav file from the speech. It is also the anniversary of the Boston Massacre.

Then I saw on the Interwebs that Patrick Swayze was dying of pancreatic cancer, which was soon refuted by his doctors that, while yes he did have pancreatic cancer, his death was not imminent.

Kottke.org had this YouTube link, offering up a brief history of evil, noted as "an (animated (and condensed (and brief (and truncated)))) history of evil. Almost as interesting for the comments as for the video itself." But I didn't want to just go with a link posting.

Perhaps one of the reasons my day was so disjointed was that my slumber was disturbed last night and not by my normal bouts with insomnia. The doorbell rang at 2:00am (which is in that time of night when the volume of things is increased by some exponential value). I had only been asleep for about an hour as I had been watching the returns come in from the primaries, so I was especially groggy as one gets shortly after having fallen asleep. At the door was one of my town's finest, informing me that my wife's car had been broken into and the stereo ripped out. He knew this because (Alleluia!) they had captured the cretins and the stereo will likely be returned soon. Here's a post from my neighbor about the incident.

This had occurred around midnight (when I was still up) and during a rather heavy rainstorm. But I never heard anything other than the rain. So now I am having the nice glass people come and repair both that car's window and my car's windshield, which has had a crack for some time and is on the move again.

Is there any wonder why I'm always tired?

Getting Ready for the Return

I am going back to work next Tuesday. As I enjoy this last weekend at home with my newborn son and wife, I hearken back to when my first son was born. At that time I was working for an international organization that understood how important it was to have time off when a major life event occurs. I was given eight weeks of paternity leave PAID after the birth of my first son.

This time, as a newly minted federal employee, I accrue leave at a snail's pace. The only way I have been able to stay out this long has been through the generosity of my colleagues who donated their leave to me. I was out of leave a week after the birth of my son.

Mrs. Brave Astronaut will be out for another two months. She has advanced herself sick leave to give her a few more weeks of paid leave. However, she will not be able to take sick leave for two and a half years. She is also on a donated leave list, but to some arcane second class employment status, she will likely not get very much, if at all.

All that being said, I have been given the opportunity to work at a different location for the next month. It will allow me to bring my older son to school in the morning and then literally walk across the street to work. It is going to be sweet. We are going to have to leave right on time though, no dawdling.

And evidently no hitting the snooze button. Especially if I buy this alarm clock. But if someone buys me this mug, I won't have to fix my own coffee.

The 12 Posts of Christmas, vol. 3

We have a tree. Well, actually two trees. The Brave Astronaut family and the OSG family trucked off to this tree farm to murder some nature and drag it indoors for a few weeks. Unfortunately, the Brave Astronaut lost his spirit in some good mud and a cold, wet December day. While the OSG family was successful (found a tree in record time), I could not find the "perfect tree," which is my quest every year. I may have also been acting a little childish . . .

We tromped around to no avail. I know there was some concern for OSG's fingers and I must report that while he left with the same number he arrived with, he did get a nibble from some geese, a donkey, an alpaca, and some tongue from a gentle calf. So we got back in our cars and headed for home. We made a stop for a late lunch at Beef Shakes, where we got some really good BBQ ribs, some amazing fries, and all around good food and atmosphere. Mrs. OSG and the Brave Astronaut had milk shakes, neither of which were beef-flavored.

Upon arriving home treeless, I headed out to find a tree cut by someone else. I found a local lot and found two good trees. They are up in their stands, hopefully drinking some water, to be decorated tomorrow evening. The remainder of the evening (what's left of it) will involve some laundry (did I mention the mud?), some other decorating and perhaps getting the curtain rods hung in the living room.

Let Us Give Thanks, Part II

Well the clog is still there, but I am not calling a plumber on Thanksgiving so he can be thankful for the time and a half. But we will make the best of it for our family Thanksgiving. Peace to you all. I wish you all a very blessed Thanksgiving. I am thankful for many things this holiday.

I am thankful for my family, although I am not celebrating with any of them this holiday. And a teeny part of me is a little thankful for that, too.

I am thankful to my wife's family, who will be sharing our Thanksgiving bounty in our new home.

I am thankful my extended circle of friends and colleagues who pitched in for the Brave Astronaut family, when we bought our new home. We are happy to have the organizer of that effort at our table today.

I am thankful for all those who I call "friend," whether here in the Internet world, colleagues, friendly acquaintances, and those friends who while I may not see or talk to regularly enough, are still special to me.

I am thankful for my own family. My wife, who is the love of my life and continues to amaze me with her love for me. My son, who is approaching his third birthday and loves to have the three of us in the same room and makes me melt when he demands hugs and kisses before leaving the room where I am. And I am thankful for his brother, who will arrive at the end of next month.

Let us Give Thanks, Part I

Because I didn't have enough to do, I went to the Washington Capitals game tonight with ADR. It was a good time, but bad hockey. The chants of "Fire Hanlon" (the coach) began when the Atlanta Thrashers went ahead. They won the game 5-1. Mrs. BA and I will attend a second Caps game on Saturday night, when they will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. On December 12, ADR will accompany me to the Capitals-Rangers game, after I received an early birthday gift from Mrs. BA.

Because God has a great sense of humor, I arrived home to find a clogged sink and water in the basement. Much work was done to try and rectify the situation, but I have to admit, Thanksgiving Dinner at the Brave Astronaut home is in danger of cancellation.

While I have several posts that I need to get to, I have lifted the meme below from Anna Van Schurman from her stitching blog. Enjoy your holiday.

Which do you like better: Cooking at your house, or going elsewhere? I would like to say that cooking at home is nice, but this year might not have been that year. But Thanksgiving to me has always been about family and I am glad to have as many of them around for the day (somewhere, my mother is happy with me).

1. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird? Butterball, baby, is what I am used to as that was what was on the table growing up. This year, we are having a 19 lb. bird purchased from the organic market. Should be delicious.


2. What kind of stuffing? My father is always a meat stuffing kind of guy, but I am a plain old Pepperidge Farm or Arnold bread stuffing kind of guy, with the onions and the celery mixed in. And I prefer it in the bird, but that's evidently not allowed anymore.


3. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie? Um, ick. Desserts are always big, but pumpkin pie usually came out of the freezer and then out of a box at my house growing up. And there was usually another dessert option available. Tomorrow there will be four of them.


4. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing? Duh, whole thing. C in DC and I are currently in negotiations about whether she should bring her stockpot so she can take the carcass home to make stock for soup.


5. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu? I have to lobby for vegetables, so tomorrow we are having three different ones. My mother always said you had to have pearled onions because her grandmother did, and she hated them. They are one of the three tomorrow. I have no problem with more sides than people, but I am not sure which one I would agree to throw under the bus, except maybe for sweet potatoes, because they are icky, but I won't take away someone else's desire to eat them.


6. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock? Stock then soup, see number 5.


7. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier? I'm actually looking forward to the prep this year, as I have a real kitchen and an opportunity to use the good china. But it would be nice to not have to crush the final prep moments into a blur of time. So the ability to slow down time would be nice.


8. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour? We are aiming for 3:00pm tomorrow, which means 4:00. You have to eat in the middle of the day so the 9:00pm turkey sandwich tastes that much better. And don't even get me started on my brother-in-law who plans dinner around the Cowboys game each year.


9. If you go to somebody else's house, what's your favorite dish to bring? I like to cook, so I don't know. But I would usually bring wine, too. Then there was the year that friends were invited to another friends for the family Thanksgiving and when asked what the friend could bring, the hostess (the friend's mother) said, "Oh yes, could you bring this? And here's the recipe I'd like you to use . . . "


10. What do you wish one of your guests wouldn't bring to your house? I'm on the fence with this one. I like when people bring things along to contribute, but when it's something I don't like, I feel some sort of obligation to try it. Yes, I know, I'm weird, but we've already established that.


11. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you're happy to see? Hi, I'm Brave Astronaut, have we met? Drama in families? Never happens [snicker].


12. What's your absolute favorite thing on the menu? Tomorrow? I think it's my mom's cheesecake, followed by the mashed potatoes.

Call for Recipes: What are you having?

In a little more than a week's time, the Brave Astronaut family will open their home for Thanksgiving. Expected through the door at the Brave Astronaut in-laws along with C in DC and Mr. C in DC. And, if she gets called for a case, NJM, which would keep her from being with her family on Thanksgiving. My mother would not let me know of people being by themselves on a holiday, she would come down from wherever she is and haunt me endlessly.

But as of this evening, we will be eleven adults and five children (one of whom isn't on solid food yet, so she doesn't count). So much time is being devoted to menu planning for Thanksgiving dinner. So while I pull my recipes together, here's a preview of what is being planned. If you have a particularly good recipe or suggestion, let me know.

Appetizers (overeating is every American's God-given right on Thanksgiving, so we are sure to get started early with some munchies)

• Crudites (and C in DC is bringing her own black olives, I am given to understand)
• Cheese and crackers (Costco yesterday, big box of crackers and some really good cheeses)
• Artichoke Dip

Dinner

• Turkey (already ordered, a 16-18 lb. bird, fresh, free-range)
• Honey baked ham (this will allow me to make Ham and Turkey pie - ahh, leftovers)
• Stuffing (likely to be made out of bird, to cut down on cooking time)
• Mashed potatoes (well, whipped, but potatoes nonetheless)
• Sweet potato casserole (being made by my MIL. I don't like them but others do.)
• Green beans (I have a good skillet recipe with lemon and garlic)
• Pearled Onions (my mother always had to have them on her table, even though she didn't like them. I have come to like them and my MIL has a good recipe that she is trying.)
• A possible third vegetable to be named later (I'm thinking brussel sprouts).
• Cranberry (fresh and from the can - as my sister-in-law, who normally eschews such things, "it's like candy, you just have to have it." And it's good with the 10:00 turkey sandwich).

Dessert

• Pecan Pie (C in DC, with her college fund raiser pecans is on this)
• Apple cake (I voted for this one, but my other sister-in-law's in-laws are coming and evidently, her MIL makes a good one.)
• Cheesecake (My mother's recipe. Some have said it's too heavy, but my mother's is not. And I want it, so I'm making it.)
• Pumpkin Pie (Again something I don't like at all, but others do, so my MIL is on this as well.)

Beverages

• Wine (My sister-in-law (of the canned cranberry) is on choosing the wine for the evening. I am thinking a few bottles of both white and red.)
• Champagne (C in DC has offered to bring a bottle or two to allow us to toast the holiday in our new home)
• Beer (I'll need some)
• Soda (I'll need some of that, too.)
• Pellegrino (just bought a new case at Costco), maybe we will mix up some Crystal Light to serve with it (the official drink of the Brave Astronaut in-laws).

So, what am I missing? What has to be on your table at Thanksgiving? Recipe sound good? Want to come? Hey, what's one more?

What Have We Done?

Yep, it's ours. As of 3:00 EDT, The Brave Astronaut Family have a new place to call home. Our eternal thanks to everyone who helped make it possible (you know who you are!). Once we get settled, we'll have some folks over.

Mrs. BA and I are getting away for the weekend for some R&R (the last vacation we may ever take - ah, the joys of home ownership) and we will move in next week. More to come soon!

Order from Chaos Turns One and Other Anniversaries

I had grand dreams of posting last night. But those dreams were taking place on the couch where I fell asleep. The Brave Astronaut family is on a new schedule this week. Little Brave Astronaut has started at a daycare center downtown and is commuting with Mrs. Brave Astronaut on the subway. Train ride - fun / New schedule - not so much. We are now leaving the house about 7:15am (instead of the previous 8:45am) and I am now working an earlier schedule than last month. But this all means that our evenings are going to have to end earlier. So last night my evening ended about 9:30 on the couch (waking up about midnight and stumbling off to bed). Oh, and we are eating dinner together as a family (previously he had dinner before we picked him up) and that is taking some getting used to. But we are now eating at a more reasonable hour.

Last night's post was to be a summary of my SAA Annual Meeting experience, which will hopefully appear in this space tomorrow. I have several draft posts ready to go and they will all appear in due course. Yesterday's post was likely to be preempted anyway as I discovered lots of things that I wanted to publicize. I noted the following anniversaries yesterday:

• In 1941, The New York Yankees clinched the pennant on the earliest date in baseball history. In related baseball notes, check out this article from yesterday's Washington Post, on the final month of regular baseball. All six divisions in both leagues feature races that may all come down to the final games of the season.


• Yesterday also marked the fiftieth anniversary of the biggest flop in the business world. Yes, the Edsel hit the road on September 4, 1957.


• On September 4, 1888, George Eastman received a patent for his roll-film camera and registered his trademark: Kodak. I still use a film camera. I don't get that fancy digital camera stuff. But here is a picture of the Brave Astronaut at the Cubs game last week, courtesy of ADR and his digital camera.

I also noted the following stories in the Washington Post yesterday and wanted to share with you, my dear readers.

• In the mixed feelings category, I spotted this story about a man and his truck and his taking on city hall to let him park it where he wants. Evidently, in Coral Gables, Florida, you can't park those big pick-up trucks on the street overnight. The city codes evidently are legislating aesthetics.


• Then there is the liquidation of the Watergate Hotel inventory. The sale starts tomorrow. It costs $10 to get in. Anyone want to go? Hey, I'm buying a house, I could use some things . . .

Finally, today marks a big anniversary for me. Order from Chaos and I have made it to the one-year mark. 279 posts later, I have spewed out on a variety of topics. I wasn't sure what I was going to write about when I started this blog, but evidently, I found enough to talk about. It has been a lot of fun and I look forward to continuing for a while longer. My thanks to all of you who visit, read, and comment. It has been a pleasure. Keep coming back!