Blog o' Niels

Ryan's Minecraft game

2010-12-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Hi, this is Ryan working on the blog. If you don't remember me, I'm this awesome guy here.

Well today is December 27th 2010, so I have changed a lot. I'm now in 7th grade, and I still play baseball. Today, I'd like to show you a game I've played before. It's called minecraft. This game is kinda confusing but I get it now. There is no objective but to live.

First, you randomly spawn in a giant world. Then you gather wood and make materials like these:

AXE

PICKAXE

SHOVEL

After that, you would use the tools to dig caves. Inside caves are important materials like coal, iron, gold, and diamond.

Remember when I said that there was no objective but to live, well here are those monsters that try to kill you.

To hide from these terrors, people build houses.

Or if you are cool like me, you would build a castle.

Thanks for reading.

Fish on...

2009-04-27T05:15:00.001-07:00

The trout have finally returned. Fished this morning off the Little Bridge in Nags Head - caught 6 specks in my first 6 casts. Sweet! 9 in all today, but no big 'uns. Tomorrow will be the day for some keepers and resultant fish sandwiches.

;-)

Fishing Report

2009-04-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

The fish are late arriving here this year. I went fishing on the little bridge on April 2nd for the first time this season, and started off with a bang. First cast, hooked up and landed about a 4 lb. striper. Amusingly, when I pulled it up to the bridge, I actually overshot my landing zone and threw the fish into traffic. Fortunately, it was still prior to daybreak and traffic was light, so I was able to get the little bugger back prior to launching him back in the drink. Turns out my friend Rob - who was the only other guy fishing at the time - saw the whole thing and, needless to say, found it quite amusing. Anyway, I didn't get another bite that morning.

With the weather nice this morning, thought I'd give it another go - this time off the shore around Avalon pier. It was actually really cold overnight, and I had frost on the truck. Nonetheless, a beautiful and vibrant orange sunrise greeted me on the beach. Unbelievably, first cast, I hooked into a striped bass again. Smaller this go around, but still a fish. And, once again, I didn't get another strike the rest of the morning, despite trying both sides of Avalon, the OBX pier and the little bridge [sigh].

Spoke with the regulars on the bridge this AM, as well. Not a one has caught a single trout this year yet, so they are definitely late. Most are guessing its because of our unseasonably long and late winter - after all, it actually snowed here 4 times, believe it or not. Plus, March was absurdly cold and windy. At any rate, the weatherman is calling for warmer days ahead, which will hopefully bring the trout back soon enough.

Cheers!

Florida Room Refurbishment

2009-03-17T14:32:00.000-07:00

When we originally moved into our home, the florida room out back needed some work.

For whatever reason, the previous owners had the hot tub on the deck within the room, which made no sense at all to us (no fresh air, open skies or breeze...come on?!?). Plus, the home at one time had a wood stove, and the Florida room housed a smokestack which served no purpose and really took up alot of room, as well as ruined the flow of things. Lastly, the shingles were their original battleship grey, and the ceiling a solid blue.

This remodeling required some serious demolition with ye ol' sledgehammer and subsequent repatching of both the wall and ceiling. The wall was particularly challenging, as I had to locate and install matching replacement shingles. I then rerouted the electrical from the breaker underneath the house to the new location for the hot tub outdoors.

The original decking was a traditional wood (painted grayish-blue), but wasn't in great shape. So, I tore it all out as well and replaced it with trex. Ditto the steps.

Lastly, the dogs had a habit of busting/tearing the screen in the porch doors, so I replaced each lower side with plexiglass.

Naturally, the walls and ceiling were painting yellow and white.

Before and after photos:

Powder Room Painting

2009-03-14T05:06:00.000-07:00

Our powder room - much like our master bathroom - was a former wallpaper victim, boasting not one, but two differing patterns. Again, creative, but not our cup of tea.

Thus, I stripped the paper (which proved far easier than the other bathroom for some reason), recaulked and spackled, and painted the ceiling white, the walls the off-toupe color again, and the baseboards ultra white. Additionally, the room lacked a mirror and adequate lighting, so I added that, as well. Following a few new fixtures, paintings and a little plant life, we had a brand new room.

Before and after:

Skeet Shootin'

2009-03-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Our friends Wallace and Nancy invited us over for a birthday party the other day. They live just a couple hundred yards from our house as the crow flies - right on the banks of Roanoke Sound. As Wallace's birthday happens to correspond to the time of year when his neighbors are off to Florida, he normally celebrates with a little skeet shooting. Sounds cool to me!

Well, I've only shot skeet once in my life - back when I was, maybe, 10 years-old. Sherry, on the other hand, has never even used a shotgun so, naturally, we had her shoot first. Hehehe. While Wallace launched the clays, Sherry shot a 20-gauge... without much luck, but resolved to practice more with immobile targets. I followed with a 12-guage and managed to hit every clay but one the remainder of the afternoon. Beginner's luck, obviously. We got to meet a whole new group of folks, and the Casey's were in attendance, as well.

A really, really enjoyable afternoon... thanks Wallacy and Nancy!

Master Bedroom Painting

2009-03-10T06:39:00.000-07:00

Up to this point, our master bedroom has been the ubiquitous yellow walls with a blue ceiling... and in this case with 'clouds' as a bonus. Creative, yes, but just not our cup of tea.

So, we decided to revamp the room, and selected a deep red color for the walls with a standard white ceiling. Additionally, I wired the room for surround-sound, which was a pretty big job.

Check out the before and after photos. Note the spackling that goes on pink and dries white. Cool stuff!

Master Bath Renovation

2009-02-09T12:18:00.000-08:00

While our kitchen project is on stand-by, I recently tackled our master bathroom. It had featured not one, but two different wallpapers - very brightly colored and hard on the eyes.

To fix her up, I had to:

* Strip the wallpaper and repaint the walls

* Repaint the ceiling

* Strip the wood surfaces and stain/seal them

* Refurbish and shorten the pendant lights

* Add a recessed medicine cabinet

* Caulk and repaint the windows

* Repaint the baseboards

* Move/replace various amenities

While we chose not to replace our toiletries, we'll likely completely renovate the room sometime in the future. In the meantime, we're pleased with the new look. Click on any photo for a larger image.

Snowstorm on the Beach

2009-01-22T07:21:00.001-08:00

A rare occurrence for the OBX day before yesterday... a snowstorm. It snowed most of the day for a total of around 3". Naturally, the kids were out of school the following day. I'm not sure if we even have plows or sanders down here to do anything about the roads anyway.

If was a beautiful scene, but we opted not to cross the big bridge to take a beach photo. Looking over Roanoke Sound yesterday, though, Jockey's Ridge looked like a giant snow mogul. Pretty cool. Here's a video & stills:

Skiing Trip

2009-01-22T07:08:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I went skiing with the Jones family at Massanutten this past weekend. The conditions were excellent for VA skiing, and we even had a bit of light snow. While Jared and Jalyn took beginner lessons, Ryan opted out. Turns out, Ryan is a pretty darn good skier! While Jenny and Jared spent most of Sunday in the lodge, Jon, Jalyn, Ryan and I skied mostly the green trails.

On Monday, we went to the waterpark most of the day. No photos, though.

Birthday Party Plus Lizards?

2009-01-22T06:18:00.000-08:00

The Casey twins celebrated their 11th birthdays, and Ryan was invited to the party. It was a beautiful night for a bonfire, and the kids had a sleepover - playing ping pong and goofing around late into the night. The next day, the boys went lizard hunting. While most of the lizards survived their captivity, the boys discovered that hot tubs are not to a lizard's liking.

Christmas Break

2009-01-22T06:05:00.000-08:00

Over the Christmas break, Ryan spent nearly a full week with us. While the winter offers fewer options for activities, we had a great time as always. In addition to playing with his gifts, Ryan also discoverd Sim City 4 on the PC. He now loves the game, and is a natural builder.

Concentrating...

Life is good. Sitting in bed, playing Sim City. "Where are the fritos, Dad?"

Wallace... or is it Fletcher?

PSP.

Unidentifiable nose?

Election Day

2009-01-22T05:49:00.000-08:00

Izzy voted!

Halloween @ Busch Gardens

2009-01-22T05:33:00.000-08:00

Ryan, Sherry and I went to Busch Gardens for the Halloween scare-fest they put on in October. We were accompanied by the whole Casey family and stayed until the park closed down. The attractions were excellent, and although the park was extremely crowded, I think we'll return next year.

Ryan, Wallace, Fletcher and Bryson mugging.

Sherry loves lines

The kids provided non-stop entertainment for Ansley and Mike.

O'Neals in Town

2008-10-21T08:27:00.001-07:00

Van, Madeline and Gracie visited us recently. As always, it was great having them here. We all toured the local aquarium, flew a kite from Jockey's Ridge, and went fishing/crabbing. Gracie managed to catch a few blue crabs, and tried her best to put them down mom's pants while she wasn't looking. ;-)

Of interest, Van and I will be going to China in the near future (November/December?) to pick up their second child, Garrett, from an orphanage. I'm honored and privilaged that the O'Neals have asked me to do my small part in bringing this longtime-in-the-making adoption come to fruition. No doubt, this will be a trip to remember.

Group effort.

Mooommmmyyyy!!!!

Daddy got blown away by the kite again!!!

Pull those staples out Gracie!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparently, some of daddy's "hair glue" got on her hands.

Gracie seems content. Maybe it's because Auburn beat the Vols once again. [sigh]

A small maurading black bear ransacked our living room...

Fortunately, Gracie did her best impression of that dentist elf from Rudolph, and proceded to make a gummy-bear.

An overgrown, rare-breed weiner spaniel cat also invaded the premises.

Here's my first speckled trout....
And here's my second... What?? What's that Madeline? What do you mean "your" fish? Pshawww!!!!!

Ryan is Coming to Town

2008-10-05T04:42:00.000-07:00

Ryan is coming to town this Friday through Tuesday. Apparently, the locals have gotten wind of his arrival, as well.

Big plans for the weekend: Ryan, Sherry and I - along with Mike and Ansley Casey and their 3 boys - are going to Busch Gardens on Saturday for the Howl-O-Scream festivities. Should be a blast. If the weather cooperates on Sunday and/or Monday, we should get some fishing in, as well.

I'll post pix next week.

Fishing in the Surf

2008-10-05T04:30:00.001-07:00

October has ushered in absolutely beautiful fall weather here on the island. We've had crisp and sunny afternoons in the low 70s and nights in the upper 50s. Winds have been light, and have allowed me to test the surf along OBX. Normally, this time of year, the great migration of fish begins in earnest - and OBX can produce great fishing conditions.

This past Tuesday morning, I tried a spot near Jockey's Ridge that a fishing buddy recommended. While the winds were light, we still had a significant swell from the hurricane that hit New England last week, believe it or not. Frankly, I figured it was unfishable, but had to give it a shot anyway.

Having found the spot, I waded in the water up to my shorts (the water temperature is still in the mid 70s) and went at it. Cast #2 and I was hooked up. Small speckled trout. Cast #4 and I was hooked up again. Another trout. They were pretty thick, and sitting right on the spot as advertised. After 1 1/2 hours, I had hooked and released about a dozen trout, a couple puppy drum, and kept one very nice trout of about 3 pounds. The biggest trout I've caught to date.

The following day, I tried a new beer-battered fried fish recipe for the trout, and it turned out really well (surprisingly). Crunchy, brown and really tasty!

While the weather has remained fantastic since Tuesday, the fishing has not. I tried a couple more mornings at the 'spot' and a few other locations, only mustering a few tiny specks and puppy drum. There is much to learn about surf fishing.

At any rate, the conditions look really nice for Monday AM (pre-dawn, of course), so I'll give it a shot.

Shrimp Are Here!

2008-09-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

Three different species of commercially-caught shrimp inhabit the waters of coastal NC where we live: Browns, Whites and Pinks. Brown shrimp constitute the largest percentage of harvests, and pinks only a fraction. But it's the white shrimp that provide a fun fall fishery here for guys like me.

White shrimp are short-lived, fast-growing creatures that reach a maximum age of two. In fact, their annual spawn in the Spring forms the bulk of the catch in fall. By late-August to early-September, whites are usually large enough to catch for personal consumption (i.e. "shrimpus cocktail deliciousus") and live bait (everything loves to eat shrimp).

I've learned to locate them around reeded areas in the tidal creeks and inlets. If you know where to look, you can see them - lots of them - cruising around the bottom in muddy areas just waiting... begging to be caught in my cast net.

Back in the day when I was still in school, I learned how to throw a 6-foot cast net while I served as the mate of a fishing boat. If thrown correctly, a round 6-foot net covers a total surface ("cast") area of Pi (3.14) x radius x radius... or 3.14 x 6 x 6 which equals 113 feet. These days, however, I've chosen to learn how to throw an 8-foot net which covers a full 201 feet if thrown perfectly. It's a totally different (and more difficult) technique to throw the big net, but the results are worth it.

Anyway, pretty nice-sized shrimp around already (see quarter in photo for scale). Lots of little ones around, as well, which should get bigger over the coming weeks. I caught my limit yesterday morning in just over an hour - around 2+ pounds (headed). I'll post again at a later time on shrimp...

4th of July - Fireworks & Boat Ride

2008-09-08T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ryan was in town for the 4th of July, so we made plans to see the annual fireworks display at Festival Park in "downtown Manteo" (I always still laugh to myself when folks use those two words together). Joe and Evette invited us aboard their pontoon boat to get a view from the bird's seat, so we made an evening of it.

Ryan and I prepare to have a race...

Naturally, Ryan won by a landslide. Wait a tic... did I mention it was one of those "Ryan's Rules" races? Hmmm...

Joe had Ryan blast the air horn as we went under the bridge in Manteo. It was loud enough for all of us to cringe. Of course, Ryan's finger slipped accidentally and it was discharged a second time.

The canal directly behind Senator Basnight's (NC) home on Roanoke Bay. Did I mention the good Senator lives maybe a half-mile from our home? Still haven't met him yet...

Evette chilling.

Shortly after snapping this photo, I made sure to bundle Sherry up tightly in her life preserver.

Spalding. What is this photo doing here? I don't know.

The monsters distribute their drool amongst passing vehicles.

Beach Photos

2008-09-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

We hired a photographer for some beach photos on the last day of Ryan's stay with us.

Despite our best efforts, I think we actually have a few keeper shots. These are proofs, so the quality of the final shots will be better.

Due to our visitation agreement, Ryan and I aren't scheduled to be together again until October. I'll send you some photos in the meantime.

We miss you and love you, Ryan!

Summertime Fishing and Crabbing with Ryan and Friends

2008-09-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to have Ryan for a full two weeks during August. We had a big list of things 'to do', and got through alot of them. In the short time that we've lived here, Ryan has already made lots of friends, and they get the opportunity to engage in all sorts of fun summertime activities together.

One day, Mike Casey and I took our boys out fishing at the crack of dawn. Following a beautiful sunrise, we headed West to the Mann's Harbor area in search of whatever was biting.

Naturally, the boys had a solid breakfast of champions on the way out.

Both Mike and I try to emphasize safety first while boating, and lifejackets are a mainstay...

and although Bryson looks cranky, it's really just early in the morning.

One of the twins. I still can't tell them apart.

Prepping for departure.

Within 5 minutes of dropping anchor, Ryan had already hooked up and landed his first speckled trout. Seriously, Ryan already demonstrates some impressive fishing skills, and seems like a natural. Not once did he snag all the obstacles we were fishing (around a dock) or loose any lures. I on the other hand, managed to hook up with the old bridge at one point. DOH!

Oh, BTW, this is Ryan's nostril. Hmmmmm.....

On a separate trip, Ryan, Austin Shackleford and I went on a crabbing trip. Austin is the son of Audra and Brit Shackleford. Audra sold us our house, and Brit is the captain of the Doghouse - one of the top charter fishing boats in OBX. It's no wonder that Austin is so mature and alot of fun.

We headed down to Mattamuskeet, and crabbed several spots within the refuge first.

Crabbing was not very good there, but we did manage to pull out maybe 9 good size jimmies.

We then rehydrated and headed to my secret crabbing spot outside of the refuge, which turned out pretty well.

We managed to catch around a dozen and a half big crabs, and headed on home. Dinner is served!

Ryan's Birthday Party

2008-08-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Been awhile since I've updated my blog. August always flies by, doesn't it?

Ryan turned 10 on July 31, 2008. No longer a big boy, now defined as a young man. Very exciting.

We had a birthday party for Ryan, and all Ryan's Manteo friends came over for a pool bash.

The boys (and girls) played for *hours* in the water without tiring - amazing what Mountain Dew plus birthday cake can do.

We also cooked dogs and burgers on the grill.

Spalding (AKA Spencer) got covered in mustard.

Of interest, Ryan and his posse had a difficult time opening his main present. Check out these videos (be patient... long loading time):

After expending great effort, Ryan discovered his cell phone in a box. You're a lucky young man, Ryanster. I was maybe 30 when I got my first cell.

Heart Attack Scare

2008-07-26T05:58:00.001-07:00

Sherry's father had a heart attack day before yesterday. Fortunately, he survived. He was air-lifted to the UVA Medical Center immediately on Thursday, and Sherry and I dropped everything we were doing and drove to Charlottesville. When we arrived, he was conscious and nearly completely lucid. Amazingly, he said the heart attack didn't really hurt, and that it was the pacemaker that they installed on him in the helicopter that actually caused the most pain. In fact, he claimed he felt well enough to already want to leave the hospital. He is one tough guy.

We later learned that his heart actually stopped twice, and was resuscitated successfully both times - once in the helicopter and once at the Cardiac Care Unit in the hospital. The doctors subsequently placed a stint within the problem artery around his heart which worked wonders. Thank God he survived.

Sherry's dad is now undergoing tests at UVA, and with a little luck, is set for release on Sunday. I'll keep you posted.

40th Birthday

2008-07-26T05:47:00.000-07:00

I turned 40 on July 22nd. Yikes!

I went fishing with Joe and his brother-in-law Rob, as well as two of his friends down here on vacation from Pennsylvania. We left early in the morning and tried a few 'hidden' inland spots first. Caught several decent-sized flounder and a few really small redfish, and decided to try another spot near Mann's Harbor.

As we approached our designated spot, I threw my lure out an instantly hooked up a speckled trout. As we anchored up, we saw loads of bait swarming around us being chased by trout and bluefish. It was about the best fishing I've ever experienced... every single cast I'd get at least one hit and often hook-up (and lose) a fish, and every other cast I'd land a fish. We caught well over 50 trout ranging from 8" to 20", and a number of small (but voracious) bluefish, but kept only the decent-sized ones. It was an absolute blast!

When we returned home, Sherry and I had a quiet afternoon together, and she gave me a Playstation 3 as my birthday present. Sweet! During the evening, we had a fantastic dinner at '1587' which is one of the best white tablecloth restaurants in the area.

I had a great day, overall, and turning 40 doesn't phase me a bit. Hopefully, I'll make it to 50. ;-)

Met Andy Griffith

2008-07-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, my neighbor Joe asked me to help him take down the eisenglass curtains from his pontoon boat in our nearby canal. When we arrived, he noted that the boat lift next to his boat was owned by Andy Griffith. However, the boat lift was empty, and a nearby jeep suggested that perhaps the boat was in use.

While just finishing up the curtains, sure enough, Andy Griffith's boat returned. At the helm was Mr. Griffith himself accompanied by his wife. I helped them moor their boat back into the lift, and we struck up a conversation.

Mr. Griffith is quite old at this point, but still very recognizable. He indicated that he doesn't walk much, and uses a rascal around the house. I had been told by friends before that there was a certain protocol that existed when one ran into him, so I had the heads-up to basically not pry. He and his younger wife were very interested in Joe's dog, Monty Python, so we mostly compared notes on each other's dogs.

At any rate, he and his wife were very pleasant, and it was great to meet them both.

Jones' Visit

2008-07-02T03:20:00.001-07:00

The Jones family came down for the weekend again. Ryan, Jared and Jaelyn had a fun time together, and spent a good portion of their time in the pool. We also went to the beach on Sunday, but the winds were gusting close to 30 MPH from the SW. Made for good surf, though.

Jon and Jenny brought their new golden retriever puppy, Jewel. She's only 9 weeks old, but is already a strong swimmer. Naturally, Izzy bullied her non-stop.

Izzy v. Laser Pointer

2008-06-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

Broke out the laser pointer this morning. Hours of entertainment.

Ryan #7 in NoVA Swim League

2008-06-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

I brought Ryan back to NoVA for his swim meet on Saturday morning. Ryan swam the 50 freestyle and the 50 backstroke, as well as relays. Ryan swam very well - particularly in the first lenght of back - up until the flipturn. We'll work on that. Even with a slow turn, Ryan posted a nice time of 48.45, and according to this morning's league results, is ranked the #7 fastest 9-year-old in the event. Sweet, Ryan!

League standings:

9/10 Boys 50 Back:

1 37.93 Christopher Murphy 10 ML 2008-06-21 ML Division..3 nvsl
2 39.06 Michael Murphy 10 SOR 2008-06-21 WC Division..4 nvsl
3 40.38 Austin Henry 10 SR 2008-06-21 HM Division..7 nvsl
4 40.68 Griffin Morche 10 CB 2008-06-21 CB Division..1 nvsl
5 40.8 David Gent 10 HSC 2008-06-21 HSC Division..1 nvsl
6 41.34 Brett Norwood 10 G 2008-06-21 MVP Division..6 nvsl
7 42.5 Chase Brown 9 T 2008-06-21 VW Division..2 nvsl
8 42.72 Brady Almand 10 O 2008-06-21 CB Division..1 nvsl
9 42.77 Connor J Morche 10 CB 2008-06-21 CB Division..1 nvsl
10 42.95 Jared Nirenberg 10 HV 2008-06-21 BF Division..6 nvsl
11 43.09 Billy Yost 10 LRR 2008-06-21 LRR Division..1 nvsl
12 43.19 Grant Barnsback 10 WC 2008-06-21 WC Division..4 nvsl
13 43.4 Carson McEver 10 LRR 2008-06-21 LRR Division..1 nvsl
14 43.84 Zachary Koons 10 HF 2008-06-21 HF Division.13 nvsl
15 43.88 Chase Collins 10 CW 2008-06-21 CW Division..9 nvsl
16 44.0 David Tammaro 10 G 2008-06-21 MVP Division..6 nvsl
17 44.12 Jack Clancy 10 VR 2008-06-21 WW Division..4 nvsl
18 45.0 Phillip Sullivan 9 VAC 2008-06-21 LRR Division..1 nvsl
19 45.01 Collin Fiala 10 SS 2008-06-21 ML Division..3 nvsl
20 45.37 Grayson M Campbell 10 VW 2008-06-21 VW Division..2 nvsl
21 45.53 Gus Leyden 10 MVP 2008-06-21 MVP Division..6 nvsl
22 45.54 Christopher Margraf 9 LBR 2008-06-21 LHP Division.13 nvsl
23 45.64 Sidney Williams 9 M 2008-06-21 CSC Division..7 nvsl
24 45.88 Riley Pfadenhauer 10 ML 2008-06-21 ML Division..3 nvsl
25 46.0 Alexander Epp 10 PH 2008-06-21 PH Division..7 nvsl
26 46.1 Henry Brooks 10 ML 2008-06-21 ML Division..3 nvsl
27 46.15 Adam Speers 10 HSC 2008-06-21 HSC Division..1 nvsl
28 46.37 Garrett Anderson 10 PV 2008-06-21 LB Division.12 nvsl
29 46.55 John Sturgill 10 LE 2008-06-21 LE Division..6 nvsl
30 46.68 William Aubry 10 LG 2008-06-21 HSC Division..1 nvsl
31 46.87 Brandon Arcari 10 HSC 2008-06-21 HSC Division..1 nvsl
32 47.24 Max Russell 10 MVP 2008-06-21 MVP Division..6 nvsl
33 47.47 Jonathan Gannon 10 WW 2008-06-21 WW Division..4 nvsl
34 47.49 John Fitzpatrick 10 CP 2008-06-21 CP Division..3 nvsl
35 47.5 Jason Guidi 10 GF 2008-06-21 BKS Division.14 nvsl
36 47.6 Christian Meneses 10 NF 2008-06-21 FO Division.13 nvsl
37 48.07 Colton Heuple 9 HS 2008-06-21 OH Division..3 nvsl
38 48.36 Jimmy Bailey 10 FO 2008-06-21 FO Division.13 nvsl
39 48.44 JW Clark 10 F 2008-06-21 LE Division..6 nvsl
40 48.45 Ryan Moore 9 LG 2008-06-21 HSC Division..1 nvsl
41 48.46 Michael Kroeger 10 HM 2008-06-21 HM Division..7 nvsl
42 48.48 Joe Miller 10 BF 2008-06-21 BF Division..6 nvsl
43 48.68 Kyle Richbourg 10 LRR 2008-06-21 LRR Division..1 nvsl
44 48.86 Aidan Grealish 10 LB 2008-06-21 LB Division.12 nvsl
45 48.93 Austin Ludolph 10 FCE 2008-06-21 FCE Division..9 nvsl
46 49.04 Nick Roberts 10 LBR 2008-06-21 LHP Division.13 nvsl
47 49.08 John Stahlman 10 CB 2008-06-21 CB Division..1 nvsl
48 49.38 Nathan Youmans 9 PL 2008-06-21 PL Division.15 nvsl
49 49.56 Gianmarco Terrones 10 HS 2008-06-21 OH Division..3 nvsl
50 49.59 Benj Welland 9 T 2008-06-21 VW Division..2 nvsl

Putt Putt Golf with the Casey's

2008-06-22T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I had dinner over at the Casey's house on his last night in town. Mike cooked up steak, and Ryan... ahem... had a PBJ sandwich.

We all then piled in the Casey's minivan and headed to the beach for some putt putt. Mutiny Bay was packed, so Plan B was another course on Rt. 12 right on the beach. Sure enough, no big crowd. Wallace, Fletcher, Bryson and Ryan really get along well, and showed us the ropes around the course. Neither Mike nor I got a hole in one the whole evening, but I think each boy did, as well as Ansley.

Flounder Fishing

2008-06-22T06:23:00.000-07:00

As promised, Ryan and I went fishing with Joe on Friday. We had great conditions - a light SW wind, lots of sun, and relatively low humidity. Joe took us down to Oregon Inlet on his pontoon boat, and we found the fish pretty quickly. Joe hooked up first with a small flounder followed by the mother of all flounder... which actually turned out to be a ten-pound clearnose skate. Ryan then hooked up and caught his first flounder ever.

Over the course of the day, we caught well over a dozen small flounder - no keepers over 15 1/2" unfortunately - some see robins, sea bass and the one skate. The fishing slowed down, so we popped back into Wanchese - just in time before thunderstorms hit the area.

Ryan had a great time, and showed some good fishing skills. Way to go, boy!

Forgot to mention, Joe's dog Monty Python made the trip, as well. So well-behaved... hopefully, he'll rub off on Izzy someday.

Ryan: Powerwasher & Beach

2008-06-19T03:12:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I have had alot of fun this week. We made a massive "to do" list of activities, and have methodically made progress, though we won't be able to do everything this time around. The boy learned how to powerwash a truck yesterday. He did a really nice job, in fact.

We then drove to (and on) the beach for the early afternoon. Weather was beautiful. We threw a couple lines in the water to see if anything was biting to no avail. However, a half-dozen charter boats were literally hugging the coast back and forth within a stones throw. We saw them bailing little spanish mackerel and bluefish. Friday, we're going fishing with my neighbor Joe. Check back later to see what, if anything, we caught.

BTW, Ryan went Benny Hill on me at the beach:

Garden v. Garden

2008-06-19T02:57:00.000-07:00

Sherry and I decided earlier this Spring to start a couple gardens. Apparently, she has lots of experience with this, whereas I have... well... basically none. After constructing 4 elevated beds and surrounding them with 3' fencing, Sherry seeded her garden with a variety of herbs and vegetables. Having (ahem) focused all my energy on building her beds, I decided to till a separate area of our side lot, and plant 4 rows of sweet corn.

Well, 3 months later, here are some photos marking the progress of each area. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who planted which garden (DOH!). A few of my corn stalks actually produced some ears, but between the swamp bunnies and crows, they were munched quickly.

Of interest, a 2-foot snapping turtle laid a clutch of her eggs within my (cough...cough) "corn field" the day before yesterday. I actually witnessed a crow steal one of the eggs and fly off with it in its beak.

Ryan's Orange Crush Song

2008-06-15T07:25:00.000-07:00

Ryan has composed a new song using Splicer software.

Check it out:

http://www.splicemusic.com/songs/cheesyboy/orange-crush/compose/

Sweet!

Ryan

2008-06-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

Exciting times for Ryan these days.

Ryan continues to make *almost* straight A's in school, and is a rising 5th grader. He's running for student Vice President, and prepared his videotaped campaign spiel this past Monday. Thursday is election day, and we'll have the results on Friday. I've got my fingers crossed. Of note, Ryan has Logan's endorsement as President. Gotta love politics. ;-)

Ryan really came on strong this past Spring season in baseball. He moved up from AAA to majors which is a big change, but apparently wasn't phased. During my last visit to NoVA, my old neighbor Gary Espinoza and I had a chance to talk, and he relayed to me how Ryan was the team's 'all star', and how well he is pitching. I played at Ryan's age, but I only really 'excelled' in hitting every other batter as a pitcher. DOH! I'm proud, of course, but win or lose, I believe the most important aspects are having fun, enjoying his time with his best friend Kyle and his other friends, and learning team fundamentals.

Ryan will swim for Lee Graham again this season with Coach Mike in between visits with Dad. Here in Manteo, we've got big plans including going to the beach, fishing, crabbing, a boating class, horseback riding, and hanging out with all the other kids on our block.

Looking forward to a great summer!

Mom, Sis & Creighton in Town

2008-06-09T05:02:00.000-07:00

Mom, Karen and fiancee Creighton came to visit us this weekend - coinciding with the Dare Day festival on Saturday. After battling 6-hour traffic from Richmond (yep, it's officially summer), they made it here by mid-afternoon. We then scooted on down to downtown Manteo, where Dare Day was wrapping up. Toured the boardwalk, took in the sights, and Creigh bought a cool wooden marlin for his wall. Also, visited Festival Park briefly.

On Sunday morning, I woke Sherry and Creigh up at 5:00 AM for a trip to Matamuskeet for some serious crabbing (yeah, they agreed in advance to get up that early). We crabbed the levee and the docks, and had great success, as Borat would say. 2 1/2 hours later (by 9:00 AM, to be exact), we were done and had our limit of 3 dozen BIG honkers.

After returning home, we had a good time chilling by the pool, and cooked up a nice crabfest. BTW, the weather has been unbelievably hot, and our pool is probably already in the mid-80s. Plus, a series of wildfires in the refuge areas to our west have plagued us with plumes of smoke for the past week or so. Yuck. Come on rain!

Great to have the family down... come on back soon!

Ryan's Room

2008-06-05T03:56:00.000-07:00

Ryan's room was originally painted two shades of blue when we moved in, and we knew we wanted to change it one way or another. So, Ryan was given the choice: What color would he like his walls? Light blue, dark blue... something else? Naturally, Ryan chose something else. After discussion, he wanted his room to reflect his favorite football team, the Washington Redskins.

This project was alot of fun, but rather time consuming. Tightly taping up the room to prevent 'seepage' of the paint from one well-defined paint layer to the next was the key. In the end, Ryan (and we) were very pleased with the final look and feel of his room.

Thinking back, my childhood room literally had clown wallpaper with multi-color stripes of red, blue and white until I was... well... grown up. I'm guessing the folks who bought my parents old house *probably* made a change or two to the whole 70's motif that was our house... including the electric yellow and green frog wallpaper in my old bathroom. ;-)

Logan's room remains the same, as when we moved in. Looking forward to her choosing her expression of herself. What exactly would a 12-year-old girl want on her walls (other than Orlando Bloom posters)?

Home Exterior Repainting

2008-06-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Made the decision to repaint the exterior of our home from battleship grey to 'daybreak' yellow with ultra white trim. I've done painting commercially in my younger days to make ends meet, but this turned out to be a really big job. All in all, I used 22 gallons of yellow with my power sprayer, and who knows how many rolls of tape and paper on the borders.

The most challenging parts of the home were the chimney and the far (North) side at the very, very top - out of reach of a 32' ladder, in fact. Sherry and our neighbors Joe and Evette suggested I hire a pro to finish these areas, but my pride got in the way, and I was determined to get it done. Ultimately, I borrowed Joe's 100' rope, tied it around my waist, and shimmied up to the top of the chimney and painted downwards. For the base of the chimney, I rappelled down the roof (45 degree angle, BTW), taped up the area, and painted upwards. On the far side of the roof, I again rappelled down, while Sherry fed me all my needed items using another rope.

Needless to say, I fortunately didn't fall. Ironically, in a recent conversation with an old swimteam friend Chantal DeFlumeri, she said that her husband, Tony, was also recently on their roof, fell off, and broke (fortunately only) his nose.

After viewing the final product, we're happy. It looks much brighter and beach-like to us now. However, I'm in no hurry to paint the entire house again... ever.

Ryan & the Jonses

2008-06-03T05:22:00.001-07:00

Ryan and the Jones family came down the weekend before last, and we had a blast! We went crabbing on Saturday, and the beach on Sunday, and spent alot of time around the pool in between.

Here are the photos:

Izzy and Spalding

2008-06-02T13:28:00.000-07:00

When we moved to Manteo, Sherry brought her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, as well. He just turned 7 years-old, but is already virtually completely deaf for some unknown reason. Apparently, this is not uncommon with this breed. At any rate, his name is Spencer, but I've been calling him Spalding, as it really doesn't matter what you call him - he rarely responds. But, he's a very sweet dog, and his primary goals in life are eating and licking humans for hours on end, if you let him. Amusingly, he also exhibits signs of narcolepsy, and will randomly plop down anywhere, anytime and immediately fall asleep.

Izzy, on the other hand, is the wound-up one in this family. I got her as a surprise for Sherry around the holidays last year, and, believe it or not, bought her online. She's a purebred Newfoundland from Ohio of all places. 'Newfies' as they're affectionately called, are usually tremendous water dogs, and stories of their rescue of humans from sinking ships abound. They're a big bred with males reaching 150+ lbs, and females 120+. Izzy's approaching the 100 lb mark already, so she could exceed their normal rate - which is cool - I love big dogs.

In hindsight, Izzy's name turned out to be wholly fitting as she's fuzzy, dizzy and crazy - emphasis on the crazy. During the past winter, she would run full barrel across our pool cover out back - seemingly briefly defying gravity. Now with the pool open, she likes to cool off all the time, and kind of swims lazily like a bloated manatee. One thing's for sure, her parents from Ohio - who supposedly lived on a pondless- and lakeless- farm, didn't give Izzy much in the way of swimmer genes. Frankly, her preference is to climb either one of us, and be held like a baby. Come on now!

At any rate, we love Izzy and Spalding, and they basically rule the roost when they want to around here.

Fishing Has Been Good

2008-05-31T06:27:00.000-07:00

I've been learning how to fish the local nearshore species like red drum ('redfish'), speckled trout ('specks') and flounder. While I have experience fishing from boats for nearshore and offshore species, it's definitely not the same, and I've been climbing a learning curve in the process.

The bite pretty much turned on around May 1st, when the water temperature in Roanoke Sound hit the mid-50's. If you don't want to fish from a boat, casting from the shore or a bridge is a strong substitute. I normally fish off the causeway bridge between Nags Head and Roanoke Island, and have gotten to know some of the local regulars, who have given me some good tips. Currently, my favorite type of fishing is using artificial lures for specks. They tend to bite most in the early morning or late evening, and have delicate, soft mouths, so you've got to go real easy with them and set the drag on a light setting.

My standard routine is to arrive at the bridge about an hour before sunrise (it's about a 10-minute deal from the time I role out of bed). I then work the rest of the day, after getting home. Yesterday was a first for me - on my very first cast (at about 4:50 AM), I got a bite and hooked up within 5 seconds of fishing. Yeah, that'll spoil you. I ended up catching 3 specks and a nice flounder - all of which are absolutely fantastic to eat.

Van and Madeline O'Neal, along with their daughter Gracie, came down the weekend before last. Madeline - who loves fishing - and I went to the bridge, and she caught her first 2 specks ever. She had a blast, and is now hooked.

More photos on their visit to come...

Spring Break in Florida

2008-05-29T04:24:00.000-07:00

For Ryan's Spring Break, I tried to put myself into a 9-year-old's head (not a real stretch) to figure out what would be most fun for the boy. I figured beach, pool, sun and amusement parks, and decided upon Clearwater, FL (near Tampa) to stay on the Gulf and visit nearby attractions like Busch Gardens.

The weather was beautiful, but windy. On the first day, Ryan's main ambition was to hang out at the pool, which was fine by us. Within an hour, he had run into a baseball teammate of his from NoVA, so whammy, he's got a playmate for the next couple days. It's a small world after all.

On day two, I reiterated to Ryan the prospect of going to Busch Gardens. "Nahhh... maybe later" was the response. OK. No worries. Another day at the pool, and dinner at the local seafood restaurant. By day three, Ryan still wasn't keen on the whole amusement park deal, but finally relented, so off we went.

For our second ride, we found the biggest, baddest coaster at the park. I wanted the front seats, and Ryan and Sherry were indifferent. We stood in line for a quicker middle seat for a bit, but I had us move to another line for a front seat. Guess who turned out to be waiting in that line? Ryan's friend and his family again. Go figure. Naturally, we hung out together for a good part of the day, and had a *great* time... even Ryan confessed to being happy about the decision to go to the park.

Of interest, the airline lost my luggage (and only my luggage) for 2 1/2 days... long enough (just barely) to force a change of underwear, and hence a trip to Walmart for new clothes, etc. ;-)

Ryan got a tat. It was his second choice, but unfortunately the nose-ring piercing pagoda was closed.

All in all, we had a very enjoyable spring break.

Hello from the Outer Banks!

2008-05-28T09:35:00.000-07:00

After a tumultuous couple of years, I'd like to share with you - my family and friends - all the 'stuff' that's been happening in my life, and this blog technology seems like a great way to do just that.

In the Fall of last year, I made the difficult decision to leave all that I've grown known over the past decade in Northern Virginia. I'm not going to go into the details of why I moved (as Logan and Ryan are recipients of this rated-G blog), but needless to say, it was very hard to say goodbye to all my great friends, and even tougher to establish a long-distance relationship with my children. For those of you that I didn't get to see and speak with personally before I left, I apologize and ask that you not think of it as a reflection of our friendship, but rather as a sign of the struggle that is inherent in essentially cutting normal ties with everyone.

In the summer before before I decided to leave NoVA, I was lucky enough to meet an incredible woman named Sherry Martin. Believe it or not, Sherry and I met online at Yahoo Personals. Corny, I know. At any rate, when I told Sherry that I wanted to start a new life on the Outer Banks, she, too, indicated that she was more than ready to leave the frenetic pace that is NoVA.

As Lily Tomlin once said, "Even if you win the rat race, you're still a rat."

So, long story short, on November 28, 2007, I bought a house in a small town called Manteo - located in the heart of Roanoke Island. Sherry and I are now engaged (more about our relationship later).

If you're not familiar with the Outer Banks, Roanoke Island is located just inside (West) of the barrier islands. It's closest to Nags Head, proper, and has a population of around 6,000 including our most famous citizen Andy Griffith. Yep, he's still alive and spotted on occasion shopping around the island. Apparently, there is a certain 'protocol' that one is supposed to follow when (and if) you run into him, as in, don't hound him for autographs or photos. Describing the life in Manteo, therefore, as truly Mayberry-esque is no stretch of the imagination (my goal is to simply avoid filling the local role of Otis).

In one of the first weekends for us on the island last December, we learned about a 'must attend' event - the local lighting of the Christmas tree. Sure enough, in 'downtown' Manteo (yes, we even have more than one stoplight), folks put on a big to do. Everyone... and I mean every single citizen living in a 5 mile radius was in attendance. The town hall served as the backstop for a large group of featured carolers singing all the holiday classics. Amazingly, the town had pretty sophisticated 'snow blowers' to simulate falling snow as they performed - while a huge closed-circuit projection TV ensured that even the more gravity-challenged could see all that transpired. BTW, it basically never snows here... maybe once a decade. Hurricanes are a different story.

One thing is clear to Sherry and I: We're not in Kansas anymore.

Basic functions like food shopping are now much more... interesting. On the island, we have the Food-A-Rama and the Star Market (I think). Mom and pop shops, for sure. As such, apparently, the concept of 'rewrapping' items in the meat department is a standard cost-cutting measure. On one occasion, we bought ground beef that was green within 1 1/2 days. As I've been on the latest diet (the "South Beach / No Green Meat" fad), we tend to travel off the island now for our primary shopping to Food Lion or Harris Teeter's.

More to come...