Championable | Love, parenting, politics.

Dammit, this sort of thing makes me mad.

Those fucktards who said that Marine recruiters are unwelcome intruders need to wake up and smell the Bill of Rights. You can protest ‘em, if that’s your inclination. You can ignore ‘em, if that’s what you want to do… but choosing the USMC as the group you’re going to call “unwelcome and uninvited?” and trying to kick them out of town?

Fuck you.

My take?  Even if the WAR is wrong, the MARINES are right.  That’s all I’ll say.

I’ve still got a fever.  Sorry if I’m a little cranky.

Love to all. Even you, Code Pink.

Yesterday, my oldest and I made a trip to Home Depot, where I got to brazenly display my complete lack of knowledge about building materials (I did, however, stick to my strict “I don’t pretend to know stuff I don’t” policy). However, we successfully bought all of the materials (except the final angle irons), to build a grind box. Now, well, we have to build it. Yikes. The kid is pushing my envelope.

The two of us then took off for Manhattan to drop off the new server at my office, and pick up my recruiter’s laptop to transfer all the data to her new Air. We also took the opportunity to pick up my bike at Eric’s, and go to lunch at Two Boots with him, his friend, and my cousin. That was super fun, and the first time my oldest has met one of my friends in a long, long time.
Coming home, though, things were not much improved on the sickness front. My daughter’s temperature (which had gotten as high as 104.5), was still at 102. The girl is so sweet.  She’s feverish and glassy-eyed, and all she’s worried about is her 100-butterfly project.

My wife wound up feeling stomach-flu-ish (and spent all of last night, well…. you know). I’m feeling pretty crappy myself, but I don’t have a fever.

This morning, things aren’t so hot.  Maggie is worse, and my daughter still has 101.7.

So, I’m having a cup of coffee, and am preparing to go into Shopping/Cleaning mode. It’s going to be a busy day, of the Family Maintenance variety.

Love to all. Even you, the surprisingly foul-mouthed members of the NYPD.

Maggie was looking at the MacBook Air I had just purchased for my recruiter. She had mentioned to me earlier that she wanted to see the laptop in person, to determine whether or not it really was the first computer after which she ever truly lusted. She held it, turned it over and over in her hands, shifted it back and forth, and finally said: “Oh, I really like this a lot.”

“Good,” I said, “Because it’s yours. The other one is in the car.”

Now that I finished transferring all of her data, I felt that I should pair it briefly with the 8-core monster. They make a lovely couple, I think.

Love to all. Even you, stoner cashier lady.

And I’ve given it up for lent.

Love to all. Even you, little Ms. redefine.

My father-in-law sent me a birthday card with a crisp, new Benjamin.  It’s kind of funny to be cutting checks for five digits to various government entities, but still be psyched to spend $100 on myself.  But such is the weirdness of entrepreneurial finance.

So tell, me.  What, oh what, should I get?  It can’t be “a massage,” since I got - yay! - a coupon for a visit to the local spa from my Mother-in-Law. Other than that, I’m all ears.

Love to all. Even you, neighbor cat.

I got an email from some random dude at a mortgage company today. I don’t know the guy at all. I think maybe I was on his marketing list from a Lending Tree application I did a long time ago.

The email had a picture Tom Brady sitting dejectedly on the ground, with a couple of Giants around him. The guy wrote:

Superior Mortgage would like to thank the NY Giants for bringing this guy back to Earth. What can we say, the soon-to-be best team in NFL history, well, isn’t…

Pictures like this now exist…

And even better, you could enjoy a moment similar to this live next year. Celebrate the SUPERBOWL XLII with the greatest news of all- we can help you REFINANCE or PURCHASE a new home TODAY with RATES SO LOW that you can have the extra cash to be a SEASON TICKET HOLDER and see the NY Giants do it all over again next year on your turf.*

*The only thing better than the programs we’re qualifying people for would be if Tom lost the game AND the girl.

William Murphy
Superior Mortgage
1.866.805.1097 x4304
609.294.4381 F
856.745.3653 M
wmurphy@supmort.com

So, as the happy, celebratory Giants Fan that I am, I just want to say:

William,

The Patriots had an outstanding year. Tom Brady played at a level that has rarely, if ever, been seen before. They were 18-0 going into the Super Bowl, and that’s really amazing, and worthy of serious, kick-ass praise.

The Giants played a fantastic game. That’s why they won.

For true fans, victory is about celebrating effort, both winning and losing. It is certainly NOT reveling the failure of those who fought valiantly and lost.

And dude, we’re all a little jealous that he dates Gisele. But you don’t have to be pathetic about it.

Sportsmanship matters. Thanks for reminding me of that by sending me this unsolicited example of what I try not to teach the teams that I coach.

Love to all. Even you, William Murphy of Superior Mortgage.

Love to all. Even you, the lady who should have had airbags installed on her shopping cart.

Your dad is like a really, really, really responsible kid.

- My 11-year-old son’s friend, to my son.

Love to all. Even you, Matt the Business Development Guy.

Today is my last day of being 38.  For some reason this bothers me a wee bit.

I ran into one of the business partners who screwed me over last year. He was going the wrong way from his office, so I called out “Hey, SK, you’re going the wrong way!”  He turned and smiled a little.  I shook his hand and he said “Happy New Year.  I hear things are going well for you.”  I smiled and said “Going well?  I’m not sure.  But we’re not closing today, and that’s good enough for me.”

We said goodbye and parted ways.

What was odd about the interaction is that he wouldn’t make eye contact.  The only other time he did that was last year, when he was going back on his promise to release our phone numbers.  I actually said “SK, look at me.  Are you going to  do what you promised or not?”  He wouldn’t look at me, as he mumbled a “we’ll see.”

My understanding is that his business isn’t going so well… so perhaps he felt he wasn’t speaking to me from a position of confidence.  Interesting stuff.

I’ve started a tradition of getting little presents for the kids on my birthday.  I’m giving them Silly Putty and the Wii game “Endless Ocean.”

I wonder why 39 bothers me so much?

I DO like chapters, though… so I’m using today to officially close the 2007/failed merger/some-other-things chapter of my life, and starting the next.

I’m also letting myself leave an hour early today so I can secretly shop for really horrible snack foods for Super Bowl Sunday.

We have another family tradition of cooking breakfast in bed for the birthday person. This tradition was modified to make the breakfast significantly bigger, since the kids tended to eat the vittles before the celebrant could start in on ‘em.

Love to all.  Even you, SK.