http://lastintheratrace.com and still puffing on my inhaler Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:14:21 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en This morning, pulling into the office parking lot (a sketchy paved space just north of our building and south of Noonegivesashitville), I got a call from my brother-in-law. My sister was back in the hospital with what might have been a mini-stroke. That would make #2 on the year - ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1947 First day of Junior Kindergarten and she's back to school. (this follows last year's Pre-Kindergarten and will be followed by Senior Kindergarten next year. ridiculous, i know... believe me, i know. pretty soon, they'll be meeting new parents at the hospital, offering space in their 'Entry Level First Stage Preliminary ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1931 How can you not get a chuckle outa that? http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1924 Kate and I took Paddi for a walk Sunday morning. Beautiful day, chatty neighbors, dog pooped and we're home. Standing in front of the closed garage, dog's leash in one hand and full poop bag in the other, I turn to our key pad and RELISH the joy of a key-less ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1901 Retailers, in their wisdom, invaded our home with promises of 40% OFF YOUR ENTIRE PURCHASE. So, dutifully, I took the bait - dragging Kate along - and hit the mall Saturday. After the third store, she was still hanging tough. No whining. At. All. Store #4 saw the beginning of ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1875 "Hm, you probably shouldn't use your teeth to twist the nozzle on the new bottle of Super Glue." Try listening to it. Next time. http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1866 We just returned from our annual trek to Eagle Hurst Ranch. It's everything Missouri has to offer - hills (Ozarks), streams (Huzzah), and heat (100 most days). Throw in a pool, A/C, and family-style meals and you've got it covered. My side of the family has been going there for ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1857 Mindy, my fearless co-worker is good for more than a couple of laughs throughout the day... mostly in the form of teasing/torturing the young associate she works for and sending poignant SomeECards. A mother of two, she has her own mess at home. Today, it took the shape of her ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1852 Last night started typically: dinner, water the grass, laundry and walk the dog. On that latter point, though, I took Kate with me as MRA was out of town. We wandered our usual route, short and sweet through the cul-de-sac one street over. As it happens, it's a pretty tight ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1823 1. Don't trust MRA's choice in movies. 2. The Big Lebowski = not kid-friendly. not even close. 3. Kids like to learn new things and apply them immediately. 4. My child is a quick study: while I took maybe 12 years to learn to ... http://lastintheratrace.com/?p=1803