Sunday, June 29, 2008

The Latest

"Where have you been, Blog Daddy?" you might be asking yourself. It has been nearly a week without a posting on this blog and for that, I am sorry. Here's what I've been up to:

1. I read "Sacred Stone" a novel by Clive Cussler. Action, adventure, save the world type stuff. I highly recommend it.

2. I attended a "Summer Solstice" party this weekend. Yes it was a week after the actual solstice, but who cares.

3. Alex and I took my mom to her chemo treatment Wednesday. That was a long three hours for sure.

4. I replaced mom's right front headlight, two side mirrors, and power antenna on her 1998 Nissan Altima as a belated birthday present.

5. Mom took Alex and I to see "Wall-e" the new Pixar movie about the little robot. Pretty good movie I must say. Take the kids- you'll enjoy it, too.

6. Watched Alex play baseball Monday night. He got one hit and almost another but was put out on a fine defensive play by the opposing first baseman. To begin the season, Alex is enjoying a three game hitting streak.

Of course I have managed to do a few chores around the house (to earn my keep), watch some miserable Cardinal games on TV, and spend some quality time with Alex. So I've been busy. However, I will try to blog more often in order to satisfy my fans' desire to live vicariously through my retirement. Speaking of being retired, it will be four years until our adoptee will be old enough to start kindergarten, so I may now be enjoying the first few months of a four year retirement. That's a lot of blogging.

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Try Tri Again

Bethany and her twin sister Charla competed in the U.S. Women's Triathlon in Naperville, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago) last weekend. The format was a half-mile swim, a 14 mile bike ride, and a 5k run. They both improved greatly over their debut at the event last year. This year, they both finished ahead of over 1400 of the 1900+ competitors in the race. Charla finished 38th of 277 in their age division while Bethany finished 77th. Not too shabby. They improved on their swim times, their bike times (despite stopping to help a woman with a flat tire), and their transition times (it's amazing what NOT stopping to pee between events will do for your time). And Char kicked booty on her run which accounted for the difference in the twins' total times. Their family is very proud of them both.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

It's a boy!

I am proud to introduce to you, Jiang Yizhan. He is a 21 month old boy who was born with mild abnormalities of his left hand and foot. (Missing a few fingers and toes.) For that, his birth parents abandoned him on the side of the road where he was discovered by some passers-by. Discarded like garbage, he was only five days old. The note pinned to his blanket indicated that he was born on September 16, 2006. It is our hope that he will be able to celebrate his second birthday in his new house with his new family- us! As of yesterday morning, our adoption agency was able to lock his file for us so that no one else can even apply to adopt him. They are sending a special petition to adopt to the Chinese authorities today and with any luck we will hear a final confirmation in the coming weeks. In our petition letter, we indicated that Bethany is an occupational therapist who specializes with helping people cope with using limbs and extremities that are injured or abnormal, so we think that will help convince the Chinese officials that the child will be in good hands with us. (His caretakers report that he is able to use his hand and is able to stand on his own, so developmentally he is doing well anyway.) Also, according to our agency, since we have already been pre-approved to adopt a "special needs" child (thanks to our social worker who had the foresight to convince us to consider that option), there won't be any reason to deny our petition. So, it appears that there will be one more Naughton boy in the world to stir things up. This should make a fascinating study in the old "nature vs. nurture" argument, don't you think?

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

All-Stars

Alex played in his first coach-pitch baseball game last night. He got a base hit and played catcher, first base, and outfield. His was especially excited to play catcher because he got to wear all the gear. Of course I missed his first game because my services were needed on our slow-pitch softball team. Bethany skipped our game so she could watch Alex and next week we will switch. And she missed quite a performance I might add. I hit a ball all the way tho the fence for an inside the park home run. I hit a double that forced me to slide head first into second base. I scoured away most of the flesh that was on my knees and elbows in the process. And when Grant had difficulties pitching (translation: couldn't have hit water if he fell out of a boat) I made a relief appearance. Although the opposing team got a few really solid hits, I didn't give up any walks and I actually struck out two batters.

So you see that the Naughton boys were MVPs for a day. (Just don't ask us what the final scores were.)

Saturday, June 14, 2008

Truckin' For Dads


Tomorrow, on Father's Day, the Hartsburg Naughtons will be making a four hour round trip to my dad's house to visit the LaPlata Naughtons near Kirksville, Missouri. Sounds pleasant enough, doesn't it? Did I mention we will be travelling in my 1975 Ford F-250, four-wheel-drive, three-quarter-ton tailgatin' and fishin' truck? Oh, it was equipped with air conditioning at the factory, but soon after I bought it a shard of shrapnel flew through the side of the air compressor causing it to seize up which in turn seized the pulley and belt which in turn caused a large and alarming plume of smoke and an ear piercing "BOOM" to emmanate from under the hood. So, it will be a warm (and loud) ride with the windows down at 65 MPH on Highway 63. Why the devil would we take the truck when we have two other vehicles with perfectly functional A/C? Because we are going to tow home our "new" 14 ft V-bottom fishing boat that I'm getting from my dad! But a few preparations were in order first.


I needed a trailer-light wiring harness installed. So I went to U-Haul and after waiting an hour and a half after my appointment time while the techs installed a hitch on a guy's truck who didn't have an appointment, my truck was finally pulled into the bay to be worked on. Lucky for all of us, it didn't cost as much as they originally quoted me. Next, I stopped at O'Reilly for a gallon of motor oil. I have learned from experience that my truck runs better when there is oil in the engine. Later when I got home I assembled a road emergency kit. Dad had given me a water-proof ammo box a few years ago and I loaded it with the oil, a gallon of coolant, a can of starting fluid, a can of brake fluid, a can of WD-40, two funnels, a flashlight, and some jumper cables. I felt pretty prepared for any "contingencies" that we might encounter. Then, it dawned on me. Despite driving the truck for a year and a half, I still did not have a spare tire for it. So today I went to Big O Tire and picked up a used wheel and tire to have as my spare. Then I threw in a jack, a tire iron, and a tool box, and chained everything down in the bed of the truck. Yes I said chained. There is no tailgate to contain the load. The old farmer I bought the truck from said, "Course there ain't no tailgate. Lost that years ago." (But really, You don't need a tailgate to go tailgatin'.)


Since buying "Old '75" from its original owner, I have had the brakes re-done, the carb re-built, and the exploded air compressor removed. I personally changed the spark plugs, the plug wires, the distributor cap, the rotor, the fuel filter (the operation that brought me to tears) and the paint color. The odometer has crossed the 85,000 actual mile threshold. It has carted our family out of our snow covered road several times and has hauled many a load of trash/Barnes Family's personal effects dutifully. It proudly hauled my sister Karah safely through the entirety of the Mizzou Homecoming Parade last year while she rode in the back and represented LaPlata as the reigning "Queen Soya" from their Soybean Festival. Not to mention the many tailgate parties that it has served to perfection. (I even mounted a bottle opener to the left side of the bed.) Finally, I am ready to put the beast to its greatest test since it was retired from doing farm work. I just hope that all of my preparations will pay off. As much joy as this truck has brought to people, I pray to Buddha that it has amassed enough good Karma to bring us (and the boat) home safely. Wish us luck.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Since my last post...

I realize that it has been a few days since I posted a new blog. I have been busy. Retirement isn't all fun and games, you know. Well, maybe it is.

What I've been up to these past few days:
1. Played a round of disc golf.
2. Mowed Mom's yard.
3. Mowed my yard.
4. Brought home a pair of cats.
5. Went to the driving range.
6. Went to Alex's first baseball practice.
7. Played video games.
8. Hosted a visit from my dad.
9. Slept in till 10:00 am every day.
10. Sat on the party porch and drank a few Sam Adam's Summer Ales.

Today, I'm going to get trailer lights hooked up to my truck so I can bring home my new boat this weekend. Then I should be able to take this "Life of Leisure" thing to a whole new level.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Kiss My Bass


While Bethany went for a ride on her new bike this evening, Alex and I went fishing. I caught three decent bass and had a couple more that got away. For this photo, Alex only pretended to kiss the fish, but he actually planted a wet one on the next fish I caught. He proudly exclaimed, "First kissed fish of the year!" and then started spitting and saying, "Oh, gross!"



Earlier today we visited the girls at Treats Unleashed and then went over to my mom's house. Later we went to the big park in Columbia where Alex tried his skills at the local skatepark. He rode his scooter and his board a little bit, but was ultimately too intimidated by the bigger kids to continue. One of the junior high age boys said, "Outta my way, cow-sucker" to him. I told him that just means that he's young and still drinks milk. (I hope that's all it means.) I also suggested that he practice a lot and come back one day to show off his skills, but he was too discouraged to think about returning. Frankly, I won't mind if he never gets on a board again. With a few exceptions, most of the skaters I have known had a tendency to gravitate toward anti-social behaviors. (All the guys from the show "Jackass" are skaters. They are not exactly what I hope my son will grow up to be.) Anyway, after we left the skatepark we played on the playground. We played "pirates" and "tag" and had a great time. I was happy that Alex is still young enough to prefer the swingset to the trappings of the skater-set.




Monday, June 09, 2008

Happy Birthday Mama!

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. She and Bethany's mom came out to the Naughton ranch last evening for a birthday feast. We had ribeye steaks, corn on the cob, BBQ beans, tater salad, and birthday cake. The cake was angel food and the birthday girl insisted on making it herself. Yeah, she's not stubborn or anything.

Our gift to Mom is some cosmetic repairs to her car. I will attempt to replace a headlight that is cracked and fogged. I will also try to replace her two outside mirrors which have both been broken and subsequently glued/duct taped back on. The car is a '98 Nissan Altima and only has about 90,000 miles on it. It's in great shape and will look excellent again very soon. Mama deserves nice things.


Sunday, June 08, 2008

Big Bass


This is the first big fish of the "Summer of Travis & Alex." I caught it in my neighbor's pond this evening. I guestimated the weight to be around 4 pounds. I ain't gonna lie- it felt really good to land the beast. (Catch and release of course.) Alex almost gave it a kiss goodbye but apparently he's losing his nerve in his old age.

Saturday, June 07, 2008

From the Couch to the Track

Friday was a study in opposites. Alex and I sat on our butts all day watching cartoons and playing video games. But we knew what the evening had in store for us. Bethany signed up to participate in the "Relay for Life" to raise cancer awareness and seek a cure. Her hospital always fields a team of walkers for the event and we have attended for the past three years. We also invited my mama to attend. Bethany was scheduled to walk from 8-9pm. Mom was able to walk for a solid half-hour before her back started giving out. Alex kept her company while Bethany and I completed the hour's walk. As we walked I thought of Bethany's grandmother, Viola Rathsam (or Grandma Ola as she came to be known). We lost her to cancer a couple years ago, yet her spirit lives on through those of us her were loved by her. I decided to dedicate that hour of walking to her. That meant that I needed to walk another hour in honor of my mom. So that's what I did. I lost track of how many circuits I completed in those two hours, but I'm sure it was in the neighborhood of 25 or 30. If four laps equal a mile, then I walked at least six miles. I'm a little sore today, but my pain is nothing compared to what my mom or Grandma Ola have had to endure.

So, I shall return to the couch and let my weary muscles rest. There's more action taking place on the track today (horse racing and NASCAR) that I need to "participate" in. Have a good weekend.

Best t-shirts spotted at the Relay for Life:
3. "Cancer Sucks"
2. "Got Boobs? Get 'em checked"
1. "Saving Second Base- Raising Breast Cancer Awareness"

Friday, June 06, 2008

Summer of Sport

Let's get physical. On Thursday, Alex and I hit the driving range. Smacking a bucket of golf balls is a great way to spend an afternoon. Alex has a custom made five iron that his Uncle Doug gave him that he did really well with. He used my five wood, too, with mixed results. I worked on staying down on the ball and hit some decent shots. Our summer schedule includes weekly trips to the driving range and a monthly trip for an actual round of golf. I think Alex enjoyed it. He said, "Next time let's get the biggest bucket they have!" The biggest bucket has 300 balls in it, so it might end up feeling a little like work and we all know that's something I'm really trying to avoid at this stage of my life.

We also went to the Ashland City Park where Alex practiced riding his skateboard. Some bigger kids were there being obnoxious and trying new tricks on their boards. Alex was the only one wearing a helmet and it didn't bother him a bit. In fact, he said he would wear elbow and knee pads, too. Oh yeah, and a cup. And shin guards. You gotta love him.

When we got home we played some Tiger Woods golf on the Playstation. I hope the little Tiger likes the game. It could pay his tuition for college or fund my retirement when he makes it on the Tour. But I won't push. I'm sure he'll find something he loves that will also provide his old man with a life of leisure. He starts little league next week...

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Retirement, Day Three

Wednesday was a stay-at-home day. With gas at $4.00 a gallon, we'll need to stay close to home more than my original retirement plans called for. But we made the most of it. Alex read library books while I watched TV and catnapped. In the afternoon I mowed and ran the weed-eater till I got blisters. Then in the evening, my mom came out to the house and we watched Tony Stewart's charity car race on pay-per-view. Red-necked? A little. But it was cool. 25 big-name Nascar drivers racing in the dirt like they did before they made it to the big time. The best part was that over one million dollars of the proceeds went to The Victory Junction Gang Camp. This camp was founded by Nascar driver Kyle Petty and his wife Patti in memory of their son Adam, who was killed in an on track crash several years ago. It was originally Adam's idea to build a camp for seriously ill children with full medical facilities and doctors and nurses on site. It has a Nascar theme of course and serves kids in the Carolinas. They have had so much demand that the Pettys are building a new camp in Kansas City that will have a multi-sport theme to include Nascar, the Chiefs, and the Royals.

Today, Alex and I will enjoy our first day at home in the air-conditioning. My frugal wife (and sole bread-winner of the family) finally relented and is allowing us to use the AC. The overnight temperature in our house failed to fall below 80 degrees last night, so she gave in. Of course when I woke up a short while ago, it still seemed warm to me so I checked the thermostat. Sure enough, she had turned on the air. However, she inexplicably had the temperature set to 85 degrees. Accident? Oversight? Subliminal message?

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Super Tuesday

Tuesday began with a trip to Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. Mom started her second regimen of chemo treatments after learning that the tumor in her lung is growing again. While she received her infusion we were enlightened by a WWII vet wearing a hat that read, "Once A Marine, Always a Marine." The old warrior had some interesting opinions (as most old folks do if we would ever take the time to hear them.) He said that what we're doing in Iraq is a mistake. "What are our boys dying for over there?" He then said we should have just come in there and "wiped 'em all out and got it over with." I assumed he meant that we should have nuked Iraq. Then he told the nurse "It's all your President's fault." To which the nurse responded, "He's your President, too." He shot back with a "He sure the hell isn't! I didn't vote him." Then he asked, "Who the hell is this Obama guy? Whoever heard of him?" (Of course Obama reached the magic number of delegates last night making him the presumptive Democratic candidate for President.) The old man went on to say, "Hilary will win it. I really think so." Before long his treatment was over and he was on his way. He gave Alex a wink and fired an imaginary pistol in his direction as he left the room. I think Alex really got a kick out of that.

After leaving the hospital, Nonna took Alex to a new park near her home while I mowed her lawn. Then, Alex and I went to the library where he checked out six books. I told him he had to read them all by next Tuesday or else we couldn't go back next week. (He proceeded to read four of them already.) We went home to wait for Mommy to get home and then we went to Columbia where she purchased a nice, used road bike for her triathlons. She was really happy. Then we met Grant and Brenda at The Heidelburg for "buy one-get one" appetizers and happy hour. The Barneses were celebrating because they just closed on selling their home and now they are 100% debt free! In two years they paid off their car loans, student loans, credit cards, and a first and second mortgage. They also managed to fully-fund an emergency fund and have cash left from the sale of their home to use toward buying a house in the KC area where Grant recently took a job with MoDOT. Congrats, guys.

It had already been a full day, but when I got home I had the itch to go fishin' so I bought some worms and threw a couple lines in my neighbor's pond across the road from our house. (He tells me he has a bunch of catfish in there, but they sure weren't interested in those high-dollar night-crawlers I had just bought for them.) But a lightning storm was on the horizon and a cool breeze was blowing in my face and I sat there for a couple hours drinking a brew or two while listening to the chorus of frogs and watching the storm roll in. I couldn't have cared less that the fish weren't biting.

This was a Super Tuesday.

Monday, June 02, 2008

Retirement, Day One

Since we were gone on vacation last week, today marked the unofficial start of my summer of leisure. I am not going to be sitting on the sofa eating bon-bons and watching my stories every day. Far from it. Today I did the dishes and the laundry. I vacuumed, made beds, cleaned the kitchen and the rat's cage (the two are NOT located in the same room), and more. Alex cleaned his room, too. Then we went to town to go to the swimming pool but it was closed. It had just started to rain, so I guess they close when rain is in the forecast. We decided that since we were planning to get wet anyway we would play a round of disc golf in the rain. After 18 holes, we looked like we had gone swimming. It was a lot of fun and Alex really took to the game. That's good because each Monday this summer we are scheduled for a trip to Albert-Oakland Park in Columbia for a round of disc golf and an afternoon in the pool. And this evenening, Bethany and I played in our co-ed softball league. We won 25 to 8 after only three innings, but it wasn't even that close. Also, I broke the opposing pitcher's pinkie finger with a savagely smashed grounder. I felt a little bad about that. I did. Of course as crooked as his finger was, everyone felt a little sick after seeing it. Our record is now 5-2, with one of our losses coming in the form of a forfeit because we didn't have enough players. In two seasons, we have only been beaten one time. Not bad for a team named "The Gimps" due to the inordinate amount of people playing injured most weeks. All in all, today was a very good day.

Bethany is happy because she got her "housewife" back and we boys are happy because as long as we get our chores done, we get to go play the rest of the day. You know, some people figure out what they want to do with their lives while in college and they go on to have a successful career and find happiness. Good for them. I remember now what my calling is. I was meant to be a husband and a dad. That's what I realized when I stayed home with Alex before he started kindergarten. I just now remembered how much I love it. You know what? I'm not too bad at it either. Here's the lesson: Marry well, live within your means, get out of debt and then you can do anything you want. Why not do something you love? Why not retire at age 36 and have the time of your life? Life's too short to waste time wishing you were doing something else.

Stay tuned. Tomorrow is the first of our weekly Tuesday trips to the library and a Columbia city park. We're going to take Nonna to her appointment with her new cancer doctor, too. Then if we have time, we may squeeze in a few video games before Mommy gets home from work. I'll keep blogging- you keep reading. Have a great Tuesday everyone.