Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Paparazzi Is Born
While we were watching the Jousting Tournament one of the riders got hit on the ankle and after the match he rode his horse off to the side and got down.
He was obviously hurt and the Youngest Island Boy took off running to "go and see."
It wasn't until we got home and I looked at the pictures he took that I realized my son is a Paparazzi.
EMS were on standby so the man sat down to wait for them to get to his side of the arena and check him out.
And there was my son, taking his picture. His injured, defeated picture.
My first thought after seeing that picture was that I needed to have a talk with the Youngest about boundaries and about not intruding on personal moments with his camera.
And then I saw the video he took. The video camera is part of our cheap little point and shoot camera and it has no zoom. So if you're seeing something up close it's because the person with the camera is standing very close.
I was going to edit the video but his running makes me laugh every time I watch it so I left that in. It shows the urgency of his mission to document the event.
I almost fell out of my chair after seeing the video. This poor guy was hurt and my son was RIGHT in his face with a video camera.
The batteries in the camera died right after this video so the man was spared from more video but the dead camera only caused my child to turn his attention to the EMS crew that were tending the man.
He says he told them that we had a first aid kit in our car if they needed it. They told him thanks but that they had everything they needed.
The next words out of his mouth were "My Dad used to be a paramedic so he can help if you need it."
Again he was told thanks but that they had everything under control.
Now, I have no doubt that I need to talk to the boy.
I had no idea we'd created a little Paparazzi but it seems that we have.
I think I'm going to blame this one on his father.
He was obviously hurt and the Youngest Island Boy took off running to "go and see."
It wasn't until we got home and I looked at the pictures he took that I realized my son is a Paparazzi.
EMS were on standby so the man sat down to wait for them to get to his side of the arena and check him out.
And there was my son, taking his picture. His injured, defeated picture.
My first thought after seeing that picture was that I needed to have a talk with the Youngest about boundaries and about not intruding on personal moments with his camera.
And then I saw the video he took. The video camera is part of our cheap little point and shoot camera and it has no zoom. So if you're seeing something up close it's because the person with the camera is standing very close.
I was going to edit the video but his running makes me laugh every time I watch it so I left that in. It shows the urgency of his mission to document the event.
I almost fell out of my chair after seeing the video. This poor guy was hurt and my son was RIGHT in his face with a video camera.
The batteries in the camera died right after this video so the man was spared from more video but the dead camera only caused my child to turn his attention to the EMS crew that were tending the man.
He says he told them that we had a first aid kit in our car if they needed it. They told him thanks but that they had everything they needed.
The next words out of his mouth were "My Dad used to be a paramedic so he can help if you need it."
Again he was told thanks but that they had everything under control.
Now, I have no doubt that I need to talk to the boy.
I had no idea we'd created a little Paparazzi but it seems that we have.
I think I'm going to blame this one on his father.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Gulf Coast Jousting Tournament
My Dad invited us to the Gulf Coast Jousting Tournament on Saturday and we jumped at the offer.
The Tournament was held at the Pensacola Equestrian Center, which is way out on the other side of Pensacola, so we drug ourselves out of bed early Saturday morning and pointed the car in that direction.
We were excited and had no idea what to expect but all three of the kids were adamant that they wanted to see Knights, armor and horses. Oh, and they wanted to see those knights poke each other with lances.
Don't tell them this but that's what I wanted to see too.
You'll have to excuse the photos - we've been having trouble with the camera, the lighting was weird, an 8 year old took a lot of the pictures, and fast moving objects have never been our specialty so the pictures aren't great - but they work.
We arrived at the Equestrian Center and as we came around the corner I saw this man.
He doesn't look like someone you'd want to make mad so I asked if he'd mind if I took his picture and he turned out to be a really nice guy, despite the axe.
The Island King wanted his picture taken with the man who happily obliged.
Then the Island King tells him to act like he's chopping his head off.
It was a little odd when the man took special care adjusting the Island King's collar so his neck was exposed.
But that gave me an idea and I told the man that I'd give him five bucks to go ahead and swing. My Dad chimed in that he'd add another five which made the man lean over to the Island King and whisper "Dude, I'd watch them if I were you."
Both boys wanted their pictures taken with him too but the Youngest Island Boy told him he didn't want to pretend to be getting his head chopped off and that he'd just stand next to him if that was ok.
Bless his heart, he's a little brighter than his Dad.
The show started with each Knight coming into the arena, walking the circle and then
lining up while the announcer told us a little about each of them.
The National Anthem was played
And then it was time to start the tournament.
The first challenge was called the Gauntlet. Each rider had to ride fast, turn tight around a barrel, jump a bale of hay, hit a weather vane looking thing with a lance to see how many times they could make it turn, and then ride by a target on a hay bale and throw a spear at it.
I have no idea why we only have 2 pictures of that whole event.
Points were awarded to each rider according to how well they did on each stage of the gauntlet but I never did understand their scoring system so I have no idea who was leading in the tournament.
After the gauntlet there was an intermission and out near the vendors there were members of the local medieval club putting on sword fighting exhibitions.
The youth group did a scene from Romeo and Juliet.
And then a group of older swordsmen came out and did a more extreme sword fighting display.
The man in white did really well, beat this guy and then took on another one.
These guys were wearing real armor and were wailing on each other with those swords like you wouldn't believe. They were literally knocking each other around and the sound of the swords hitting the armor was really loud.
I lectured my boys about not trying this at home but I'm pretty sure that was just a waste of time.
Soon it was time for the jousting to begin.
The horses were ridden back into the arena and this time all of the riders were dressed in heavy armor. And when I say heavy I mean heavy because according to the announcer the armor weighs 150 pounds.
The joust takes place in a roped off corridor, with each rider starting at an end and then running full speed to meet in the middle.
They bring each horse up, face them away from each other and give the rider his lance.
They turn around, face each other and when the signal is given they take off.
These guys were serious and weren't cutting each other any slack.
You could see each hit they took literally rock their entire bodies. The lances are designed to break but not before delivering a severe poke.
In fact, there were supposed to be 10 riders competing but one of them was injured in the competition the night before and couldn't continue.
Injuries seem to be pretty common when you get on horses, ride towards each other really fast and then try to hit each other with long sticks.
I mentioned that to the boys when they started talking about trying this on their bikes.
They shook hands after each match and showed a lot of good sportsmanship - which I like to see.
It wasn't long before we got to see what we were secretly hoping to see. A rider being unseated.
And we don't have a picture of it. But two of them were riding towards each other and when their lances met one guy went flying off the back of his horse and landed flat on the ground.
See that shiny stuff in the middle of those people? That's him. He laid there for quite a while and I was starting to wonder if he was going to get up when he finally started moving around.
He was moving slow but he was up. They brought a mounting box over to him and he was able to climb back on his horse.
I didn't want anyone to get hurt but it just wouldn't have been a joust without someone flying off his horse, right?
The horses these guys ride are very impressive too. All but 2 of them are considered "War Horses" and have been bred large and strong. They weigh about 2000 pounds and are about 18 hands high.
I don't know anything about horses but I do know that these horses are so big they made the two regular sized ones look like ponies.
This rider is a relatively big guy and he looks like a 12 year old standing behind the horse.
As each match is happening the other riders are waiting in the corners of the arena and at one point this horse decided to sit down. They tried to get him to stand up, which he wouldn't, so the rider got off and he and another man tried for 5 minutes to get that horse to stand up.
After a while he stood back up and seemed raring to go.
When a 2000 pound animal decides to sit down there's not really much you can do but wait for him to want to stand up again.
Ever wonder what they look like under that armor?
Again, I didn't understand the scoring but this man won the afternoon tournament.
They were scheduled for another match that evening and then a final match the next day where a winner would be named. I think the points are cumlative but I really don't know.
It was a fascinating experience and we're now looking forward to the Renaissance festival that will be held in March.
Thanks for inviting us Dad, we loved it!
The Tournament was held at the Pensacola Equestrian Center, which is way out on the other side of Pensacola, so we drug ourselves out of bed early Saturday morning and pointed the car in that direction.
We were excited and had no idea what to expect but all three of the kids were adamant that they wanted to see Knights, armor and horses. Oh, and they wanted to see those knights poke each other with lances.
Don't tell them this but that's what I wanted to see too.
You'll have to excuse the photos - we've been having trouble with the camera, the lighting was weird, an 8 year old took a lot of the pictures, and fast moving objects have never been our specialty so the pictures aren't great - but they work.
We arrived at the Equestrian Center and as we came around the corner I saw this man.
He doesn't look like someone you'd want to make mad so I asked if he'd mind if I took his picture and he turned out to be a really nice guy, despite the axe.
The Island King wanted his picture taken with the man who happily obliged.
Then the Island King tells him to act like he's chopping his head off.
It was a little odd when the man took special care adjusting the Island King's collar so his neck was exposed.
But that gave me an idea and I told the man that I'd give him five bucks to go ahead and swing. My Dad chimed in that he'd add another five which made the man lean over to the Island King and whisper "Dude, I'd watch them if I were you."
Both boys wanted their pictures taken with him too but the Youngest Island Boy told him he didn't want to pretend to be getting his head chopped off and that he'd just stand next to him if that was ok.
Bless his heart, he's a little brighter than his Dad.
The show started with each Knight coming into the arena, walking the circle and then
lining up while the announcer told us a little about each of them.
The National Anthem was played
And then it was time to start the tournament.
The first challenge was called the Gauntlet. Each rider had to ride fast, turn tight around a barrel, jump a bale of hay, hit a weather vane looking thing with a lance to see how many times they could make it turn, and then ride by a target on a hay bale and throw a spear at it.
I have no idea why we only have 2 pictures of that whole event.
Points were awarded to each rider according to how well they did on each stage of the gauntlet but I never did understand their scoring system so I have no idea who was leading in the tournament.
After the gauntlet there was an intermission and out near the vendors there were members of the local medieval club putting on sword fighting exhibitions.
The youth group did a scene from Romeo and Juliet.
And then a group of older swordsmen came out and did a more extreme sword fighting display.
The man in white did really well, beat this guy and then took on another one.
These guys were wearing real armor and were wailing on each other with those swords like you wouldn't believe. They were literally knocking each other around and the sound of the swords hitting the armor was really loud.
I lectured my boys about not trying this at home but I'm pretty sure that was just a waste of time.
Soon it was time for the jousting to begin.
The horses were ridden back into the arena and this time all of the riders were dressed in heavy armor. And when I say heavy I mean heavy because according to the announcer the armor weighs 150 pounds.
The joust takes place in a roped off corridor, with each rider starting at an end and then running full speed to meet in the middle.
They bring each horse up, face them away from each other and give the rider his lance.
They turn around, face each other and when the signal is given they take off.
These guys were serious and weren't cutting each other any slack.
You could see each hit they took literally rock their entire bodies. The lances are designed to break but not before delivering a severe poke.
In fact, there were supposed to be 10 riders competing but one of them was injured in the competition the night before and couldn't continue.
Injuries seem to be pretty common when you get on horses, ride towards each other really fast and then try to hit each other with long sticks.
I mentioned that to the boys when they started talking about trying this on their bikes.
They shook hands after each match and showed a lot of good sportsmanship - which I like to see.
It wasn't long before we got to see what we were secretly hoping to see. A rider being unseated.
And we don't have a picture of it. But two of them were riding towards each other and when their lances met one guy went flying off the back of his horse and landed flat on the ground.
See that shiny stuff in the middle of those people? That's him. He laid there for quite a while and I was starting to wonder if he was going to get up when he finally started moving around.
He was moving slow but he was up. They brought a mounting box over to him and he was able to climb back on his horse.
I didn't want anyone to get hurt but it just wouldn't have been a joust without someone flying off his horse, right?
The horses these guys ride are very impressive too. All but 2 of them are considered "War Horses" and have been bred large and strong. They weigh about 2000 pounds and are about 18 hands high.
I don't know anything about horses but I do know that these horses are so big they made the two regular sized ones look like ponies.
This rider is a relatively big guy and he looks like a 12 year old standing behind the horse.
As each match is happening the other riders are waiting in the corners of the arena and at one point this horse decided to sit down. They tried to get him to stand up, which he wouldn't, so the rider got off and he and another man tried for 5 minutes to get that horse to stand up.
After a while he stood back up and seemed raring to go.
When a 2000 pound animal decides to sit down there's not really much you can do but wait for him to want to stand up again.
Ever wonder what they look like under that armor?
Again, I didn't understand the scoring but this man won the afternoon tournament.
They were scheduled for another match that evening and then a final match the next day where a winner would be named. I think the points are cumlative but I really don't know.
It was a fascinating experience and we're now looking forward to the Renaissance festival that will be held in March.
Thanks for inviting us Dad, we loved it!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Who Are You Calling Grandma?
I was in the Dollar Store one night right before Christmas picking up some stocking stuffers for the kids.
I got to the checkout line and as I was waiting my turn the young guy behind me points at my basket and says
"You must be getting ready for the grandkids to come"
WHAT?!!
Without thinking I whirled around and said "I am NOT a grandmother! This stuff is for MY children!"
The poor guy looked like he just wanted a big hole to open up and swallow him and he stammered around for a minute, apologizing and trying to backtrack.
Which I thought was funny so I laughed and told him not to worry about it - that technically I am old enough to be a grandmother - but that I'm not yet.
He was still really embarrassed and told me that this happens to him all of the time because he "never knows what to say to women."
"Calling women grandma should go to the top of your what NOT to say list" I told him.
The worst part of the story is that when I got home and told my family what had happened the Island King laughed until he cried and still hasn't stopped calling me grandma.
The Island Girl just shook her head and said "I've been telling you to wash that gray out of your hair for a while now."
She may be right.
I got to the checkout line and as I was waiting my turn the young guy behind me points at my basket and says
"You must be getting ready for the grandkids to come"
WHAT?!!
Without thinking I whirled around and said "I am NOT a grandmother! This stuff is for MY children!"
The poor guy looked like he just wanted a big hole to open up and swallow him and he stammered around for a minute, apologizing and trying to backtrack.
Which I thought was funny so I laughed and told him not to worry about it - that technically I am old enough to be a grandmother - but that I'm not yet.
He was still really embarrassed and told me that this happens to him all of the time because he "never knows what to say to women."
"Calling women grandma should go to the top of your what NOT to say list" I told him.
The worst part of the story is that when I got home and told my family what had happened the Island King laughed until he cried and still hasn't stopped calling me grandma.
The Island Girl just shook her head and said "I've been telling you to wash that gray out of your hair for a while now."
She may be right.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
My Grandmother's Birthday
Happy Birthday Grammy!
My grandmother turned 99 this past week and on Saturday we gathered at the nursing home where she lives for her birthday party.
My cousin's girls love to see the Island King walk in with his camera. They hide their faces and tell him "Don't take my picture!"
And then they start laughing and making faces at him.
My nephew went to Germany last year and fell in love with lederhosen. He looks so cute wearing them!
My grandmother enjoyed having everyone there to visit.
We were missing 4 cousins who could not be there but even without them we're a good sized group.
At one point my grandmother pointed to all of the kids in the hall and asked "Did I do this?"
Yes you did and we all thank you for it!
Friday, January 15, 2010
A Walk On The Beach
We're finally starting to thaw out around here and just in the nick of time.
I have been whining and crying about the cold, holed up in my chilly house and wearing 4 and 5 layers of clothes for so long that I now have a serious case of cabin fever.
But the mercury has started climbing and on Thursday it got up to 57 - which felt like an absolute heat wave.
Time to go to the beach!
The Oldest Island Boy and I decided to take a walk out to the jetties.
We haven't been there since they finished putting in the new girders on the bridge.
Not as pretty as the original lines but when you're driving over it safe is better than pretty.
The Army Corp of Engineers are dredging the entrance to the harbor and have set up their operations base at the foot of the bridge.
The green boat is their office/break room.
The red boat shuttles workers out to the dredge barge and back.
There were ducks out enjoying the day
And a lot of pipes from the dredging operation along the beach.
When we saw this the Oldest said "I hope they're finished by summer because those pipes are right in the middle of our fireworks spot."
Isn't that sand amazing?
I like how the wind sweeps it around the jetties.
The sand that's being dredged is coming from the Pass and is sent from the bottom through these pipes and then up over the jetties and through a pipe that extends about a mile down Okaloosa Island. The sand ends up in front of Eglin's beach club.
The controversy over where that sand is going is huge and you can read about it here if you want. I don't have a dog in that fight so I'm keeping my opinions to myself.
A sad sight was waiting for us out at the jetties.
This poor boat washed ashore here back in October when her owner ran into some trouble navigating the Pass at night. The owner couldn't afford to have the boat towed off the beach but a local boat captain offered to help. He and his crew worked for several days trying to get her back in the water but had no luck.
And since then the situation has just gotten worse. Beach is building up behind the boat and now it's a lot farther away from the water than it was 3 months ago.
We wandered around the rocks for a while and then I found the perfect spot to sit a spell.
And when I say perfect I mean perfect. I was warm. I was comfortable.
And the view was spectacular.
Did I mention that I was warm? That's important.
I sat there for a long time soaking up the sun while the Oldest climbed around on the rocks.
It was a wonderful walk and seems to have cured my cabin fever.
Come on Summer - we're waiting for you.
I have been whining and crying about the cold, holed up in my chilly house and wearing 4 and 5 layers of clothes for so long that I now have a serious case of cabin fever.
But the mercury has started climbing and on Thursday it got up to 57 - which felt like an absolute heat wave.
Time to go to the beach!
The Oldest Island Boy and I decided to take a walk out to the jetties.
We haven't been there since they finished putting in the new girders on the bridge.
Not as pretty as the original lines but when you're driving over it safe is better than pretty.
The Army Corp of Engineers are dredging the entrance to the harbor and have set up their operations base at the foot of the bridge.
The green boat is their office/break room.
The red boat shuttles workers out to the dredge barge and back.
There were ducks out enjoying the day
And a lot of pipes from the dredging operation along the beach.
When we saw this the Oldest said "I hope they're finished by summer because those pipes are right in the middle of our fireworks spot."
Isn't that sand amazing?
I like how the wind sweeps it around the jetties.
The sand that's being dredged is coming from the Pass and is sent from the bottom through these pipes and then up over the jetties and through a pipe that extends about a mile down Okaloosa Island. The sand ends up in front of Eglin's beach club.
The controversy over where that sand is going is huge and you can read about it here if you want. I don't have a dog in that fight so I'm keeping my opinions to myself.
A sad sight was waiting for us out at the jetties.
This poor boat washed ashore here back in October when her owner ran into some trouble navigating the Pass at night. The owner couldn't afford to have the boat towed off the beach but a local boat captain offered to help. He and his crew worked for several days trying to get her back in the water but had no luck.
And since then the situation has just gotten worse. Beach is building up behind the boat and now it's a lot farther away from the water than it was 3 months ago.
We wandered around the rocks for a while and then I found the perfect spot to sit a spell.
And when I say perfect I mean perfect. I was warm. I was comfortable.
And the view was spectacular.
Did I mention that I was warm? That's important.
I sat there for a long time soaking up the sun while the Oldest climbed around on the rocks.
It was a wonderful walk and seems to have cured my cabin fever.
Come on Summer - we're waiting for you.
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