This Donut Was Made for You And Me

This donut is your donut,
This donut is my donut,
From California
To the Daniel Island,
From the sprinkled chocolates,
To the Boston Creme-filled,
This donut was made for you and me.

As I was eating,
That ring of sugar,
I saw above me
That endless goodness,
I saw below me
That swelling belly.
This donut was made for you and me.

Have a great weekend!

With the holiday season here, I have been discussing gift-giving strategy with other parents. I’ve been surprised at the different concepts used. Below you’ll find some of the leading theories in the field.

• To Wrap or Not To Wrap – There are different schools of thought here, but the best strategy may be to ride the fence. Assembling and displaying a few key gifts will make a big impact when your child comes down the stairs, and give them an opportunity to play right away. In combination with displayed gifts, do try leaving a few gifts wrapped. You don’t want to rob your little one of all that paper-tearing excitement.
• De-Package, Then Wrap – The frustrations associated with modern toy packaging are well documented, and should not be ignored when planning your Christmas morning show. Most toys can be stripped of packaging, put together, powered up, and wrapped up without a problem. Not only does this make the toy immediately playable, but it also gives you a head start on throwing away packaging and storing manuals.
• The “I Think There’s One More” Present – As demonstrated in “A Christmas Story“, saving a highly-desired gift until the end can add some much needed drama on Christmas morning. Simply place the gift around the corner or hidden in the tree, and pull the old, “Do I see one more over there?” routine. Sit back, and let the happiness ensue.
• From Santa or Mom & Dad – This one seems to be a personal preference, so just get your facts straight. The primary objective here is to ensure presents that come from Santa were actually on the list sent emailed to the North Pole. If your son asked Santa for Batman, Santa wouldn’t bring him Spiderman – that’s just cruel.
• Save the Best for Last – I know this seems like common sense, but try to increase the desirability of each gift as the morning goes on. Socks first, Xbox 360 last.

I hope these strategies can be of some help, but just remember the most important part of gift giving – actually doing the shopping. So, lay off the blogs and go buy some stuff before it’s too late!

Rummaging through an attic box, I found this vintage TI-99 BASIC reference card. I spent many an evening hunched over my TI-99 writing lines of code, and I imagine this card was my copilot. It’s well preserved, so check out the full-resolution scans below for details.

This sketch was done in March of 1991 while visiting my friend Ian at Arizona State University. There’s nothing remarkable about it, other than it being 15 years old already!

With the season well under way, schedule analysis becomes useful in determining which team will seem powerful come March. A squad with 25+ wins is guaranteed a high seed, and becomes an automatic threat to play deep into the postseason.

After posting a 9-0 start, the Florida Gators are facing what looks to be a win-friendly schedule. With 21 regular-season games remaining, they face only one ranked team: the struggling Kentucky Wildcats. Unless someone from the SEC East steps up, Florida may be running for Mayor of Bracketville this spring.

And while we may still be talking about Florida here, I wouldn’t want my Hoosiers to face anyone with a 31-2 record come March. So fight on Gamecocks, Bulldogs, Vols, and Commodores – take the steam out of this dangerous Florida basketball team.

Todd Hinchman, 1989.
Railsliding a brick planter in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

Issa Eimish, 1990;
Crail slide on quarter pipe.

Some classic movie quotes while you eat that Friday morning treat:

You want muffins? I think I’m entitled. You want muffins?!?! I want donuts! You can’t handle the donuts!

The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been donuts. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But donuts have marked the time. This box, this glaze, is a part of our morning, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhhhhhh, people will eat, Ray. People will most definitely eat.

A sampling style band logo from nearly ten years ago.

I made this a little over a year ago, yet it’s just as spooky today:

Well I don’t know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain’t right,
I’m so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I’m wondering how I’ll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Yes I’m stuck in the middle with you,
And I’m wondering what it is I should do,
It’s so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I’m all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

I was going through and old stash in the attic, and came across something I hadn’t thought about in years: a CD long box. I had forgotten how big they were, and how much area was devoted to artwork. I remember hanging them in my locker like tiny posters, and on my bedroom wall like hunting trophies. I’m not sure how this “Axis: Bold as Love” box made it into my permanent storage, but I’m stoked to have it.

Long boxes encased CDs during most of the 1980′s, and were eventually phased out during the eco-friendly 1990′s. Now some of the only web references to this lost format are on eBay. While researching this post, I had assumed the boxes were used for security purposes. However, they were actually used to accommodate the 12″ deep record displays common in stores at the time.

Long live the long box!

I am only a few years into parenting, and I already feel I have forgotten countless details about my son’s early years. Sure I remember what he wore on Halloween, and what his favorite toy was at age one – but what about the little things? How am I going to remember the times he made us crack-up, or what he liked to munch on for lunch?

I’ve decided to keep a Kid Log – a ‘klog’ if you will. It’s not really a diary, as I’m not putting time stamps on each entry. Rather, I’ve decided to write a few paragraphs whenever I can, in the hopes that someday this will be meaningful to someone – my son, his kids, or even my senility.

I write about the simple things: The time he made a joke, or the time he got scared by my dinosaur roar. When he fell out of his chair during dinner, or how he carried around a yellow rubber frog for two weeks. These activities sound pointless, I know – but I’m hoping in 40 years (heck, even 10 years) they will seem priceless.

Start a Klog today, before those fleeting thoughts float away.

Issa Eimish, 1989;
Just styin’ at Clay Junior High School.

And like a bad case of Venezuelan shingles, November has come and gone. I gave myself a goal of one post per day, and realistically thought I would get half of that. To exceed thirty is a shock, so I’m pleased as punch happy – even if a bunch of the posts are just photographs.

I will continue to add to the Reviews and Parenting categories going forward, and have big plans for Geeking Out, Photography, Hoops, and Music. I have about a dozen articles already penned, and they should start appearing in December.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.