The Rock

Good Morning and, wait a minute, did the weather guy just say "snow?"

With the great weather this weekend, it was nearly enough to make the winter a distant memory.
Finally, it was time to get outside. Finally, it was time to open the windows. Finally, it was OK to pull out the shorts.
So, Saturday morning, with the soft breeze blowing inside, I made an executive decision.
Turn the games off and let's go for a walk. Yes, the underlings weren't too happy about not getting a vote, but, hey, I run a dictatorship (most of the time).
Now, we could have just walked around the neighborhood, maybe down to the playground. The more I thought (and I had plenty of time to think as everybody else was moving in slow motion), the more I wanted to take in some nature.
Even if the trees aren't in bloom yet, there would be a few flowers or something.
We headed out to Forbidden Drive at the Wissahickon Creek. It's a place we used to walk all the time, but haven't been there for a few years.
If you've never been, there, do yourself a favor and take a ride down the Blue Route. It's a great, flat area with some wonderful scenery.
Without the blooming, we were able to see new waterfalls and fallen trees.
While the complaining didn't really stop until we were heading home, I'm pretty sure if you pressed even the traveling party would admit it's pretty cool.

Getting antsy for a garden

Good Morning and here comes the sun!

OK, I have to admit, I'm getting a little bit crazy (although, maybe that happened years ago).
I want to get outside and plant some flowers. I want to dig in the dirt and start the tomato plants.
I want to cut the grass (see, crazy). I want to see the trees the bloom.
I know, it's early in the spring. You aren't supposed to put any veggies in the ground until Mother's Day. Flowers would probably wither and die before the spring hits full stride, but I don't want to wait.
Truth be told, I have somewhat of a brown thumb. I can kill the heartiest of plants, but that doesn't mean I won't try again this year.
In a few weeks, I'll have way too many tomato and pepper plants in my small garden. I'll figure out ways to brighten up the outside of the house.
I want to forget about the winter now, though. Why wait?

Ah, yes!

Good Morning and that's all we really have to say today.

It's spring. We have made it. That other word can leave our lips until next December. The season of misery is over. Time to smell the flowers.
My daughter bounced off the bus after school yesterday and said: "Dad, do you know what tomorrow is?"
Having been bogged down with work and home stuff, I answered: "I don't know. Thursday?"
"No," she said. "It's the first day of spring. Spring. Spring. Spring."
She wasn't excited about some free water ice (although you know we'll be stopping at Rita's maybe a couple of times today). It's like some weather blanket was lifted off of us.
It's spring, let's dance.

Bouncing off the walls

Good Morning and it sure was nice to pull out the light jacket this weekend!

So, the warm weather over the past two days (yeah, it's changing back today) got me to thinking about a few things.
I remember my mom packing and unpacking different clothes throughout the year. We'd get the winter ones out around November and the spring/summer ones would come out sometime in March.
I used to look forward to the day my T-shirts would emerge from the box in the attic. I knew it was almost the end of another school year.
In my own home, we don't pack up clothes. In fact, we wear pretty much the same ones all year long (sure, the sweatshirts don't leave the drawer, but still).
I wonder if anybody still packs clothes away for the seasons?
Also, even though it was nice to turn off the heat in the house the last couple of days (yeah, it will go back on today), I still felt like the walls were closing in. It was nice out, but there was still too much snow (and now mud) to deal with.
Hey, at least we have the first Phillies game Wednesday. So, things must be changing.

That bad, really?

Good Morning and enough about the weather!

You can't turn on the TV or read your local news Web site without being hit over the head with the weather. So, instead, let's talk about something else.
How about those Phillies!!!
Right, how about them? ESPN has ranked the Phillies as the second worst team in baseball this year.
They are slightly ahead of the AA-talented Astros. They are behind teams like the Cubs (THE CUBS), Marlins and those stinckin' Mets.
If experts are to be believed, we are in for a long summer of losing baseball.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, the games still have to be played, but I get a bad feeling about this team.
It feels a whole lot like those teams in the late 1980s and 1990s.
You know, if Ryan Howard can figure out to hit, if Chase Utley stays healthy, if the outfield doesn't break down, if Carlos Ruiz can play like it's 2008, if the pitching holds up.
A whole lot of "ifs." A whole lot of losses.
Hey, at least there won't be any snow.

Rise and Shine -- Get on out

Good Morning and how about those Clevelanders!!!
Really, I don't get into this too much because, well, there are certainly more important things in the world to worry about, but doesn't it seem odd that in 2013 we still see teams like the 'Indians,' 'Redskins' and 'Braves.' I mean, in Cleveland, there is still a guy who pounds a drum in the outfield (OK, he's no longer dressed like a Native American).
Just a little odd.
Anyway, I encourage the gang to get outside whenever possible. The usual retort is something like, "I've been outside all day in school. I want to watch TV/play video games/eat candy."
The convincing has been a little easier as the air has gotten warmer and more people are outside. Yesterday, the first question I got was "Can we play outside?" Sure, there's homework to do and stuff, but I can rarely answer in the negative to that question.
I don't know how long it will last, but it is nice.
Now, my next thing is to convince them it's really fun to cut the grass.

Rise and Shine --- Crack of the bat

Good Morning and finally some warm weather!

This weekend was the annual start of a busy spring. That's right, baseball/softball season officially began in our house.
We had the parade (why is it always so chilly?) and the first game.
The thing that always gets me is the enthusiasm. The players want to be out there on the field.
Here we have a group of 8 and 9-year old girls who want nothing more than to put on a glove and start playing.
Sure, there's the social aspect, but it's about getting outside. It's about breathing in some air after being stuck inside all winter.
The funny thing (at least I find it funny) is how the boys act the same way. For the most part, they would rather sit at home playing video games.
The spring, though, brings a change. Sure, they want to keep playing the video games, but they don't argue as much about going outside.
OK, they argue a little, but once they get there it's all smiles.
Yeah, it's only a couple nights a week, but it really sets things up nicely.

Rise and Shine --- Welcome Spring!

Good Morning and good-bye to Old Man Winter!

Sure, we might have not been hit much this winter, but it's still winter. It's still dark and dreary. It's still cold and dank.
Now, we can get ready for some sunshine. We can plant the garden. We can smell the flowers.

Rise and Shine --- Growing season

Good Morning and what a beautiful start to March!

Don't tell me there is nothing wrong with the weather when we have temperatures approaching 80 degrees in March.
Not that I'm complaining or anything, but so much for that Lion.
Took in the Philadelphia International Flower Show over the weekend. Sure, it was crowded (too crowded?), but it certainly put us in the mood for spring.
The amazing thing about the show is how it makes everybody think they can be a gardener. Now, I'm the first to tell you I have the furthest thing from a green thumb. I once bought a plant that was guarenteed to be a kill-proof. It died in the first week.
Last year, I planted a garden and got no tomatoes. OK, maybe I planted too many. If too many is about 20 plants in a 4x4 area.
Still, though, the smell of the flowers and all the blooms made me think I can do it again.
Picked up a few plants, some seeds and a couple of other things.
The plan is to make our own little flower show all year long.
We'll see how long they last.

Rise and Shine --- I want Spring!!!

Good Morning and welcome to whatever this is called!

So, I went into the Home Depot the other day and, suddenly, I was hit with Spring. There were flowers all over the place. Outdoor furniture had replaced the Christmas lights and new grills were lining up the aisle.
I got to thinking, man, we really need spring.
Sure, it's been a mild winter, but it's still winter. I want to get outside and dig. I want to clean up the trees and bushes. I want to, yes it seems odd, cut the grass.
Most of all, though, is I want to build a garden. I did it last year, but got a little too over-zealous and planted too much.
By little 3x3 box had like eight tomato plants, a few peppers, cucumbers and, I think, squash.
Nothing grew. I had a few tomatoes, but the majority stayed green all summer.
This year, I'm going to do it right. I'm going to give space. I'm going to keep the rabbits away. I'm going to make it work.
Now, I just need time to speed up.

Rise and Shine --- Two wheels!

Good Morning and welcome to the week before Halloween!

One of the things we like to do in the summer is ride bikes. So, with everybody getting a little bigger, two new (actually used) bikes were purchased last spring. The problem for one was that meant no more training wheels.
So, we tried in the spring. We tried at various times throughout the summer. We tried before school started. Still, the one couldn't get over the fear of falling.
That's OK, I kept saying, you'll get it. Until then, we'll put the training wheels back on your little bike.
"No," was the answer. "I'm not a little kid. I don't need a little bike."
So, the Not Little Kid used a scooter instead. Road up and down in front of the house. Mile after mile throughout the early fall.
Then on Saturday, the scooter went away and the bike came back out.
"I can do it now," the Not Little Kid said. "Watch."
So, moments after jumping on the bike (her brother's, but let's not quibble), it was back and forth on two wheels.
"I can do it! I can do it! Look Daddy! I Can Do IT!" the Not Little Kid yelled with joy.
Yeah, you can do it. You're right, you're not a little kid any more. :(

Rise and Shine --- Bracketology

Good Morning and wasn't it nice to hear the birds singing this morning!

With all the running around this weekend (or, more specifically, sitting around at a conference), I didn't have a chance to fill out an NCAA Tournament bracket.
Usually, I am able to get around three done myself then have the children pick one and feel really bad by the end when they beat me.
This year, though, time just got away and, really, I forgot.
It's a good thing. I definitely would have picked Notre Dame, Georgetown and Marquette. When all three Big East teams lost (and Villanova nearly lost), my first thought was: 'At least I still have my five bucks!'
Seeing the weather report for the weekend made it even better. Now, when it hits 70 degrees, I won't feel the pull to put on a basketball game.
I might even try to play a basketball game, which will make my knees hate me even more.

Rise and Shine -- Yes, it's sunny!

Good Morning and welcome to the middle of the week!

Ever since the first cold air blew into the area, I've gotten the same question over and over, 'Is it going to be sunny out?'
The question, from a precocious 5-year old, was meant to ask if it's warm out.
So, yes, I would say, it's sunny out today, but it's still cold.
'Awwww!' was always the response.
Sunday, it was with great pride I could finally say it was 'sunny out.'
It's really amazing how the mind works. Yes, it looks nice outside during the doldrums of winter, but it's not exactly inviting.
Bundle up, walk outside and the first thing you want to do is run back inside.
The last few days have been a welcome respite. Sure, there was still some melting snow around, but the hope of a warm day can make a lot of things look better. Well, at least for a little bit.
Hey, there were even a few flowers blossoming from the mud.
So, while the rain and chilly air is blowing back in for the next few days, we can finally look forward to sunny days. We all need a little bit of sunshine.

Rise and Shine --- The air is new

Good Morning and welcome to (what feels like) spring!

Hope springs eternal, or so it's been said.
When it feels like spring, things change.
For the past few months, the early-morning requests were exactly the same: 'Can we watch TV? Can we play Wii? Can we play with the DS?'
It was cold outside. More often than not this winter, it was snowing. There are only so many times (even for children) that bundling up and heading out into the snow is fun.
With the temperatures ticking upward, though, the requests changed.
'Can we go outside? Can we go to the baseball field and practice? Can we go to the playground? Can we ride our bikes?'
That's what spring is all about. Rediscover the air. Rediscover what's important.
Sure, the heat of the summer will be upon us and the requests will change, but, now at least, there's a whole world out there to be discovered.

Rise and Shine --- Things to do in the rain

Good Morning and welcome to another Wednesday!

The good thing about Wednesday is you can almost see the end of the week, but you know there's still some work to be done. Plow through it and you'll be rewarded. Well, at least you have to have hope.
Speaking of hope, after a long winter of sitting inside, the last thing a child wants to do in April is look out the window at rain falling.
They want to get out. They want to run around. There's a little clock in their hearts that goes off once May rolls around. Enough of playing board games, we want the bikes. We want the balls. We want the Frisbees. We want the ... ice cream?
That's right, why wait for the heat of the summer, it's spring, which is close enough, so it's time for ice cream.
Now, none of that low-fat stuff. No, it has to be real ice cream. It has to be full of fat and milk and chocolate and goodness.
Since the frozen banana ice cream just won't cut it this week, it's time to head to the store.
That's where the fun begins. Now, not being a huge ice cream fan, I usually by-pass that aisle in the store. This trip, there was no stopping (after all, it was a trip primarily for ice cream).
So, the orders came in: I want mint. I want cookie dough. I want peanut butter chocolate. I want candy and ice cream and whipped cream and chocolate sauce and more candy.
So, with two small ones to help, we stopped at the ice cream aisle. I want that one and that one and that one and that one.
OK, just one. There's not enough room in the freezer (not to mention the bank account) for one of each.
With so many choices, it was information overload. It takes an adult to step in. Well, here's chocolate peanut butter and, look, there's a baseball one. It's baseball season let's get that.
NOOOO. I want the football one.
NOOOOO. Get the baseball one.
NOOOOOOOO! Football! NOOOOOOOOO. Baseball!
Executive decisions don't work when a little girl wants ice cream with little chocolate footballs inside.
Or, maybe I'm not the executive anyway. That's why we end up with too much ice cream jamming up the freezer.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- What does $1 buy?

Good Morning out there as we start the last full day of winter!

Never does something look so good as the coming of spring. After sitting through a winter of dreary, wet, cold days, we get a glimpse of sunshine. We can almost smell the flowers as they break up through the dirt.
We can also open the garage door and dust off the bikes. Pull out the rakes. Get the hands dirty. Play with the baseballs, frisbees and lawn darts (lawn darts?).
Anyway, I get excited about spring, even if it means purchasing just one packet of seeds and seeing if they can grow, which isn't a bad thing for about a buck.
All of that is fine for the weekends, it's the regular work week that gets a little bit tougher. The last thing anybody wants to do is go into work when the weather is first turning warm.
Unfortulately, it's just something that has to be done. Unless, of course, you can get a government bailout and cash your checks.
So, even if it's not too warm this weekend, get to a park (just don't take SEPTA) and think of the spring.
You have to do something. Then again, maybe it's a better weekend to watch some basketball.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Spring ahead

Good Morning and welcome to a new week!

It's hard to believe just one week ago we were digging out from the biggest snowstorm of winter. Now, with the exception of those giant hills in shopping centers, there is no snow. Sounds pretty good.
Speaking of weather, those warm days over the weekend sent the mind racing to the best rite of spring, baseball. Grab the gloves. Rough up the ball. Pick up the bat. While those high-priced players are enjoying the Florida weather, the real future of the game was being played on muddy lawns and driveways this weekend.
Sure, there were plenty of basketball games and the sound of bouncing balls as well, but spring means baseball. It's kind of interesting how the change in seasons bring certain things to mind.
Spring is baseball. Summer is swimming. Fall is walking. Winter is, well, winter is something we all have to get through.
While it's not going to be as warm throughout the week, it's not going to be freezing either. Time to start thinking about that garden.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com

Rise and Shine --- Playground fun

Good Morning and aren't we all wishing for more of Sunday's warmth?!

There's really nothing like an unexpected spring-like day in the middle of a cold winter. Not only does it give us a chance to turn the heat down for the day (I'm thumbing my nose at the oil companies at least for one day), but we all get to go outside.
What to do? Well, you could take a walk. You could ride bikes. You could head to the zoo. You could just sit on the front steps and enjoy the warmth.
The best thing is to head to a playground, especially when there are three little ones getting stir crazy by the winter. After all, there's only so much cleaning, reading and watching movies you can do before the brain goes crazy.
So, instead of bouncing off the walls, let them bounce off playground equipment. Up and down the slides, onto the swings (for hours?), running around with reckless abandon and that's just the adults.
While in the middle of summer the playground might not have the same appeal, the middle of winter offers hope. Get out, remember what the air felt like. Throw the ball around. Scream. Yell. Pretend to be a monster.
If only the day could last forever.


If you have any cool links or photos, send them along to onlinedelco@gmail.com