Work

I have two quick work related stories that I wanted to share.

First is about Lucy being a working women. It all started when Libby attended a happy hour with some former co-workers. As Libby was leaving, Lucy asked where Mommy was going and we told her to a work meeting. The next morning Lucy saw Lib’s black boots and announced that she needed to go to work. It must have been wear your pajamas to work day.

The second story was a quick jog down memory lane for me as Lucy and I drove to swimming lessons last week. As we were driving on the highway, in our minivan (my new company car!?!?!) in my swimsuit, sweatpants and sweatshirt, I was passed by a car that reminded me of my previous work life. Seeing a guy with the blue tooth in, a shirt and tie on, and the GPS running took me back to my days as a traveling sales rep.

In all honesty I looked at the car and thought about how fun it was to be driving around, socializing with customers, talking on the phone with co-workers, earning a paycheck, and buying five piece chicken select meals and McDonald’s throughout the state of Minnesota.

I was snapped out of my day dream by Lucy in the back seat saying, “Look Dad, Look!” She was showing me a new trick she had figured out. A reenactment is pictured below.

After sharing an exciting, celebratory cheer with Lucy about her new trick. I had to have a quick laugh at myself. Although there are multiple things I do miss about my old job, it would be incorrect to just ignore the negatives of my old corporate world job. Stressful quota numbers to hit, managers focused on saving their own bacon versus looking out for their direct reports, and the all too frequent new top, top priory every couple of months, etc.

In the end I was caught in a “grass is always greener moment”.

While being a stay at home parent has its long days and trying moments, what job doesn’t. I ultimately feel very fortunate to be able to stay at home, and feel lucky to be there for the “I just figured out a new figure trick moments”. I know there will continue to be occasions where I miss my old job, but I would rather miss my old job then have my kids miss me. Plus I know my belly stands to benefit from the less frequent MacD stops!

Before I sign off I had to post one more picture of Lucy trying to be a working girl like Mom. This was taken over the Christmas holiday when Lib needed to fire up the laptop to check one quick think. Lucy insisted on doing the same thing.

Crafting a plan for the weather

As the whole country has experience over the last couple weeks, the winter weather is upon us. In the Midwest multiple feet of snow and cold temperatures are unfortunately very, very normal. While there are numerous outdoor activities we all enjoy and help us to embrace our weather, sometime you have to just hunker down inside.

When I used the word “sometime” in the last sentence I was more specifically referring to the multiple feet of snow we received over the course of the last week. With this type of weather outside and the Sound of Music movie finishing up for the 60th time we turned the TV off and tried to get creative.

Below are some pictures of the plan we “crafted” to pass the time between shoveling opportunities!?!?!

Thank goodness for Valentine's Day. Also, thank goodness for Grandma and Nana for sending various craft supplies over the last couple weeks.

Some playdough was made. All the food coloring that we used is almost cleaned off of the counter and our hands. Also, my arm is almost recovered from all the stirring you have to do as the playdough cooks. Those of you who have made playdough at home know what I am talking about!?!?!

No painting session is completed without getting our hands in the mix. The brushes that come with the paints are just for warming up.

DUDE REPORT: Nick Punto Day

There are a variety of Minnesota Twins blogs that since joining the blog world I have enjoyed reading. The Twins blogs that I frequent include: AaronGleeman.com, Over the Baggy, and Twins Geek. These blogs and others have been discussing a Nick Punto Day. For you non-Twins fans Nick Punto is a utility player who has been with the Twins since 2004. The reason for the Nick Punto Day is because analysts and fans have a wide variety of opinions on him. This day would allow everyone who wants to sounds off.

Before I dive into my good, bad and odd breakdown of Nick Punto I want to take this opportunity to announce I am hoping to add a “dude” section to the blog. With March Madness right around the corner, then the Twins, and of course grilling season, I think this is a good time to kick off a Dude Section. As soon as I acquire the technical knowhow (or more likely technical assistance) I will add a link to this new section.

What I like about Punto:

• First and above all else I like his defense. This is also what Manager Ron Gardenhire loves about him. The Twins historically have been a good defensive team, and Punto fits this mold. While a stat does exist about the number of runs any one defender saves per season (I don’t know if I buy the math they use for this stat), I prefer to add up the number of appearances any one player has on ESPN Baseball Tonight’s Web Gems! Punto is a web gem waiting to happen and has made numerous jaw dropping plays over his career.

• His ability to play multiple positions is valuable. This year it sounds like 3rd base will be his spot with Brandon Harris. He is a great option to give shortstop JJ Hardy and 32 year old Orlando Hudson a day off.

• His offense during even year. In 2006 he batted 290 and in 2008 he batted 284. The good news is this is an even year!

• The final thing that I like about Punto is that he seems to be a good clubhouse guy. He is always very energetic and seems to really fit the Twins way of doing things.

What I don’t like about Punto:

• His offense is very frustrating to watch. I will give him credit for having some good at bats down the stretch last season, but overall I do not like watching him bat. I would love to see him hit 260 or better this year. I can live with an average around 245, but below that I feel that he cannot be a member of the everyday lineup.

• More specifically I do not like his hitting in odd year. He hit 210 in 2007 and 228 last year. Both seasons were well below is career average of 248, which is low bar to have to jump over to raise your career average.

• I hate that he slides in to first. This item should possible appear in the odd section, but he has been sliding into first for year. It doesn’t get you there fast, please stop.

• Punto made $4M last season. I don’t completely hate that amount, but any higher without improved offense numbers and I start to get uncomfortable.

Odd things about Punto:

• A friend of a friend attended Justin Morneau’s wedding and said that Punto was a good dancer. I am a fan of anyone who can cut a rug, especially at a wedding reception. This individual also reported that Kevin Slowey had some good moves, which was a bit surprising to me.

• I heard a pun about Punto that although adult in it's humor I can’t resist passing on. The individual was speaking about the Twins lineup before Orlando Hudson was signed. (Hudson will likely bat second.) He mentioned that the top of the order will likely be Span, Punto, Mauer, Morneau, etc. He went on to say that the lineup looks good except Punto, who offensively can be a real pain in the two hole!?!?!

I am glad Punto is on the Twins and I am very excited about the Twins chances this year. I believe Nick Punto wound best be deployed as a utility man who gets 300 at bats while playing various positions. It would be best to see him hitting in the 8th or 9th spot as much as possible. GO TWINS!

Double Dare: Physical Challenge

You may remember the game show Double Dare that aired on Nickelodeon. It was a definite favorite at the Johnson house when we were kids. Some say it was the program that put Nickelodeon on the map. A claim like that doesn't give classics like Rugrats, Wild and Crazy Kids, and my personal favorite Hey Dude enough credit.

Double Dare was hosted by this guy (Marc Summers):

During the show they would have physical challenges. These challenges usually were messy and very entertaining. They often included water, green slime, or whipped cream.

Recently during a reading session as we prepared for nap we found an extra pacifier. Lucy thought it would be a good idea if daddy gave it a try. I was reminded of the physical challenges on Double Dare as I attempted to read Doctor Seuss with a pacifier in my mouth. Although, our "challenge" was much cleaner than those on the show it felt equally challenging.

The Cat in the Hat (pictured below) had some challenging lines, "The Sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house all that cold, cold, wet day." S-words proved to be the most challenging with a pacifier in my mouth, and ultimately The Cat in the Hat proved manageable.

The stakes where really raised, or to include one last Double Dare reference, I felt like we were going through the ultimate physical challenge...The Obstacle Course (the final challenge of the show where the contestant was given 60 seconds to complete 8 obstacles), when we started reading Sesame Street and... Mr. Snuffleupagus (full name Aloysius Snuffleupagus)!?!?!?