Notes and Sam shots

Just a few things:
I surprised myself by watching a good portion of the Oscars on Sunday. This is mainly because I was reading a blog that was making fun of it, and had to see what they were talking about. I'd also like to point out here that I watched none of the movies nominated, and have no plans to watch any of the movies nominated for best picture. This is because I don't really care about any of them. Just wanted you to know.

Hico trippin
I've gotten a few questions (OK, one from Tom) as to whether or not I've made it to Hico and done my little Indiana Jones expedition for the lost marker of the original Segrist home site. Short answer: Nope. As we have only one car right now, I can't take it for an overnight trip and leave the wife and boy without transportation. It's also the nice car, which means I can't take the dogs. And not being able to take the dogs to Hico seems kind of pointless. Hopefully, (very hopefully, I must admit) we'll get my car back this week and I'll be able to make it Hico before the end of March.

If the car refuses to work, I dunno.

Midieval trivia
The popular concept of the "village tavern" is wrong, at least up to around the 1500s. Dark Age folks living in rural villages typically got their drink on at one anothers' homes. Families, mostly the women, would brew their own batches. Once the brewing process was over, they'd open their homes to their neighbors.

Though the atmosphere was not, "Dude! Party at Aelfric's." Rather, the family sold their brew and would often count on it as a major source of income. It was also a highly regulated affair. "Brew tasters" were supposed to sample the ale before it could be sold, and the court records are full of fines for those accused of selling "weak ale." (Ale making was by far the most penalized activity in midieval courts.)

Sam climbs, scares parents
So the boy has become kind of an expert on getting into a chair at the table. He acts like he's part of the conversation and enjoys being out of the baby chair. Meredith's set up some activity things for him to do once he's climbed up there. Still, kind of nerve wracking not seeing your boy strapped in.






This is also a note to all parents: Your parents will probably want to buy your kid various $80 toys that they saw in some fancy schmancy catalog. While nice, you should tell your parents that your child's favorite toy will most likely be a stick. Or, in Sam's case, a stick and beat up rain guage that he found somewhere.

For a while Sam couldn't see a bird without flapping his arms. Now he waits until he hears a plane.