In this entire world there is nothing more beautiful than the site of a baby sleeping. Especially, if she spent the previous two hours screaming from her crib, throwing her toys and trying to climb out!
Good night!
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Sound of Rain on the Roof
One of the most relaxing sounds in the world is that of a rain beating down on the roof. As I am writing this, I am in the kitchen of my house (the only part without a second story) updating my checkbook and listening to songs in ITunes. I could hear the the rain just above me. It is so overwhelmingly relaxing, I turned off my MP3s just so I can listen and remember the simple God-given pleasures of the world.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
What is in a name?
In case you are wondering, what is Uinseann?
It is the Irish form of Vincent, which of course is my name. Vincent is the Roman word for conqueror. The Irish is pronounced Win-shen.
I may adopt "Win" as my new nickname. It certainly goes along with the positive mental attitude I am trying hard each day to maintain!!!!!!
It is the Irish form of Vincent, which of course is my name. Vincent is the Roman word for conqueror. The Irish is pronounced Win-shen.
I may adopt "Win" as my new nickname. It certainly goes along with the positive mental attitude I am trying hard each day to maintain!!!!!!
Monday, June 27, 2005
The Franklin Institute
The last time I went to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, I was 4 years old. The only thing I could remember from that trip was the giant heart exhibit. I took my family there today, as part of my ongoing first real vacation in years. My five year old, Corry, came running out of the heart obviously as excited as I had been at his age. He insisted that I go back in with him, which I was happy to do, as I wanted to relive my earlier childhood memories.
The first thing I discovered is that it was a little harder to get through at 36 than 4. Obviously, I am a not quite as small as I used to be. Thinking about it from a different perspective, I imagined that the arteries and veins were smaller from the buildup of plaque and cholesterol Pondering it from that point of view makes me want to swear off double cheesburgers for life. (Okay, not really, but I might cut down a bit).
The biggest things at the Institute were Corry's eyes when we entered the "Train Factory". The Baldwin 60000 locomotive is a permanent exhibit. He has always been a fan of trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine, but he has never been this close to one. He studied the big drive wheels, the pistons, the coal tender. I don't think he realized that he was actually walking all around it, it seemed to me that he was floating. Kristy was chosen to be the engineer for the 24 foot round trip the locomotive makes and Corry sat in her lap attentively watching her push the throttle, break and horn.
I wonder how much of this he will remember 30 years from now. Of course, I will take him back several more times before then.
The first thing I discovered is that it was a little harder to get through at 36 than 4. Obviously, I am a not quite as small as I used to be. Thinking about it from a different perspective, I imagined that the arteries and veins were smaller from the buildup of plaque and cholesterol Pondering it from that point of view makes me want to swear off double cheesburgers for life. (Okay, not really, but I might cut down a bit).
The biggest things at the Institute were Corry's eyes when we entered the "Train Factory". The Baldwin 60000 locomotive is a permanent exhibit. He has always been a fan of trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine, but he has never been this close to one. He studied the big drive wheels, the pistons, the coal tender. I don't think he realized that he was actually walking all around it, it seemed to me that he was floating. Kristy was chosen to be the engineer for the 24 foot round trip the locomotive makes and Corry sat in her lap attentively watching her push the throttle, break and horn.
I wonder how much of this he will remember 30 years from now. Of course, I will take him back several more times before then.
The Gift That Keeps on Giving with Every New Gift
I don't usually plug products. I will, when asked, offer my opinion about nearly anything, but I rarely find anything I want to tell people about. This is one of those exceptions. In this month's issue of Business 2.0, there is an article about OpenX. It is a tool to easily extract items from those awful clamshell packages that everything is packaged in these days. Check out their website http://www.myopenx.com. This is the gift to give before giving anymore gifts!
Legendary Moments
Everyone who loves baseball knows the story of Babe Ruth's called shot...
Game three of the World Series. Wrigley Field. Fifth Inning. The Babe is at the plate. He gestures towards the outfield predicting his home run. Charlie Root delivers the pitch. Wham... Out of the park!
I experienced a legendary moment yesterday. My son Ciaran and daughter Kristy were competing at the first ever Celtic Fling Feis. Ciaran had two competitions, he performed with grace and ease and kept absolutely perfect time to the music for the first time ever in competition.
My daughter was competing in 5 events. The amount of challengers in each event was significantly more than Ciaran had to face. She did well in the first two events but did not place. When she checked the results board she was clearly disappointed. The day started to drag on, one event for which she had been waiting was delayed. A last minute change of shoes and a run across the grounds to get to where she had another upcoming competition. In one event she had a slip, I don't think even the judge noticed but she was beating up on herself. She completed the two events that were close in times to one another and then began the wait for her final dance...
... it was slow going, there were a lot of other competitions being judged on the stage ahead of her's.
Her final dance was to be the Hornpipe, the most complicated and longest dance step. It was also the one she had been doing for the shortest amount of time, having only recently learned it.
We continued to wait...The temperature climbed close to 100 degrees...Finally it was time for her dance. She was competing with two other girls who had previously placed higher than her in other steps. They went first, usually two dancers compete at the same time, and they did very, very well...
Here is where the legend begins...
I had moved to a small hill overlooking the stage so I had a better view. The other dancers were awesome. Kristy posed waiting for the starting beat, and she was off. I could tell in the first three steps she was going to win. She had never been better and she has always been very good. I had the same feeling watching her dance that the people watching Babe Ruth must have felt when they knew the ball was going over the fence. The knowledge that they were experiencing a great performance. Like the Babe's hit, Kristy's performance was a home run. She took the gold medal and I had the honor of being able to tell her, as I had snuck away later to check the scores.
Maybe it was a Cinderella moment only in my mind. The wait, the heat, the fact that she had not placed in the first two events, and did not yet know she had placed in her third and fourth events, the competing against the same girls, the poise, the dance, the championship performance.
I cannot wait to get back to work... There are a lot of people who are going to hear this story!
Game three of the World Series. Wrigley Field. Fifth Inning. The Babe is at the plate. He gestures towards the outfield predicting his home run. Charlie Root delivers the pitch. Wham... Out of the park!
I experienced a legendary moment yesterday. My son Ciaran and daughter Kristy were competing at the first ever Celtic Fling Feis. Ciaran had two competitions, he performed with grace and ease and kept absolutely perfect time to the music for the first time ever in competition.
My daughter was competing in 5 events. The amount of challengers in each event was significantly more than Ciaran had to face. She did well in the first two events but did not place. When she checked the results board she was clearly disappointed. The day started to drag on, one event for which she had been waiting was delayed. A last minute change of shoes and a run across the grounds to get to where she had another upcoming competition. In one event she had a slip, I don't think even the judge noticed but she was beating up on herself. She completed the two events that were close in times to one another and then began the wait for her final dance...
... it was slow going, there were a lot of other competitions being judged on the stage ahead of her's.
Her final dance was to be the Hornpipe, the most complicated and longest dance step. It was also the one she had been doing for the shortest amount of time, having only recently learned it.
We continued to wait...The temperature climbed close to 100 degrees...Finally it was time for her dance. She was competing with two other girls who had previously placed higher than her in other steps. They went first, usually two dancers compete at the same time, and they did very, very well...
Here is where the legend begins...
I had moved to a small hill overlooking the stage so I had a better view. The other dancers were awesome. Kristy posed waiting for the starting beat, and she was off. I could tell in the first three steps she was going to win. She had never been better and she has always been very good. I had the same feeling watching her dance that the people watching Babe Ruth must have felt when they knew the ball was going over the fence. The knowledge that they were experiencing a great performance. Like the Babe's hit, Kristy's performance was a home run. She took the gold medal and I had the honor of being able to tell her, as I had snuck away later to check the scores.
Maybe it was a Cinderella moment only in my mind. The wait, the heat, the fact that she had not placed in the first two events, and did not yet know she had placed in her third and fourth events, the competing against the same girls, the poise, the dance, the championship performance.
I cannot wait to get back to work... There are a lot of people who are going to hear this story!
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Celtic Fling Feis / Pennsylvania Rennaisance Faire
Today was the first ever Celtic Fling Feis (Irish Step Dance competition), held on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire in Manheim, PA. I think it was a rousing success. All of the parents to whom I spoke agreed and we are all looking attending the event anually. Congratulations for an event well done to all of the producers, promoters, staff and volunteers who made today's event so much fun.
In more important news, my daughter placed 1st, 3rd and 4th in her events and my son placed 1st in both of his! Way to go guys!!!!!!!!
In more important news, my daughter placed 1st, 3rd and 4th in her events and my son placed 1st in both of his! Way to go guys!!!!!!!!
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