Riley breaks a leg – really!

Riley Daly Lane, 3, broke her right femur (thigh bone) Thursday, Oct. 16, at her home in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Riley, her sister Jenna, mother Heather and dad David rushed to an emergency facility in Moncks Corner for X-rays and triage before being taken by ambulance to the MUSC Children’s Hospital in Charleston where Riley and Heather spent the night.

Riley poses for Grandma Nancy in the park near her home.

Doctors were studying Friday morning whether it would be necessary to pin  the bone back together or whether a cast would be adequate to stabilize the bone. Either way, prognosis is that Riley will be immobile for about eight weeks and have to be carried everywhere she goes.

Heather said the girls were watching The Invincibles on television and got into the spirit of the video. They had stripped down to their “My Little Pony” underwear and were pretending to be superheroes. In that company, they were jumping off various parts of the sofa in the den onto pillows on the floor while mother worked in the adjoining kitchen.

Mom said she heard a “slap” and at first thought one sister had slapped the other. However, she quickly realized that slapping was out of character for these two sisters, and she said the “slap”  didn’t sound exactly like flesh on flesh. “When I heard the screams that followed, I knew something was wrong.”

Riley whooshes down a slide in the park.

The family did a last minute reassignment to get David relieved of duty on base, and then they raced to the Monck’s Corner emergency room attached to Trident Hospital. Preliminary reports indicated the fracture was complete, and that raised fears an operation and pinning would be necessary.

Friday, Dr. Hooker, whom Heather compares to her own sister Laura (soft spoken, sweet), placed a half-body cast on Riley. On her left side it extends from ankle to waist. Then it goes down to the knee on the left side.

Grandpa Randy was pondering Friday morning whether this is an example of media effects, uses and gratifications or some other mass communication theory.

Storm recovery

Tonight we walked more than five miles to find a decent restaurant “nearby” that was open. It is really bizarre to stand within a Graham Harrell or Mark Sanchez pass of Burger King and Pizza Hut and not be able to see either one at night. Block after block is still dark.

Tree limbs and litter lined up Monday for city pickup.

So we set out toward the Bellaire district about 5:30 p.m. Still dark all the way down Holcombe to where it becomes Bellaire and beyond. I knew there were plenty of restaurants down at Rice Village, and guessed that they would have electricity. So we started down Kirby. Before we got to University, we were encouraged to see that traffic lights, even though they were mostly just flashing red, were illuminated.

It was difficult to resist the temptation to jump into the first open restaurant we found. But we found several. In many cases, there were lines. Found a nice little Chinese (Hunan) place called “Cafe Chino.” Then we walked back past the old Rice Stadium to Main and then back to the hotel.

Today’s News: MD Anderson is still on an “emergency only” basis — as are most hospitals and clinics –  until Wednesday. I am not an emergency (yet). Houston Hobby Airport and Southwest were scheduled to start “limited” service today. We have decided to wait until we hear SOME thing from MD Anderson before we move along.

Three days after Ike, scenes like this were common.

I wrote a piece for KOHM news about the aftermath of Ike. You can read it and see some of my photos here.

We got power to our room late Sunday (47 hours after we lost it) and air conditioning back late Monday afternnon. Nancy has finished reading one book (Robin Cook thing) and has started on Michener’s Alaska. It’s funny what being without TV will force you to do. Because the hotel is running on a borrowed standby generator, we don’t have TV. Don’t have ice either. That means Nancy is without two of her best creature comforts.

Downpour

Lubbock received 8 inches of rain on Thursday! Yes, 8 inches in one 24 hour period.  Thats a record for Lubbock, and probably doubles our total rainfall for the year.  Our rain is coming from the Pacific not Ike.

Jones-ATT reflection pool after downpour

The city mayor and county sheriff both declared Lubbock (City and County) in a state of emergency. The school district’s superintendent then decided to cancel all classes for Friday.

It has been rainy here for the past couple of weeks, and just before school started Aiden commented, “I wish it would rain so hard that they would cancel school.”  Friday morning when I woke him up and explained the school cancelation He exclaimed, “My dream really did come true!”

Hunkering down

They just declared a curfew in Houston. County Judge, Sheriff and other law enforcement folks just spoke at a news conference, reminding folks that “we respect other people’s property.” News anchor on ABC affiliate following that conference and a brief one from the governor’s office said “There, you’ve heard it. We don’t have looting in Texas.” Co-anchor responded, and if we do, we take care of it quickly.

The first rain bands are coming on shore at Galveston, and we are seeing clouds that look like rain is not far behind. So Nancy and I will be taking a walk before curfew, and then we will hunker down for the storm. We expect to lose power and cell phone service. Hotel phone is 713-528-7744, and we are in room 504. We will maintain contact as best we can. But we will survive. Just ask my Scouts.

Jenni, please ask Kenneth to text to me scores as they happen in the Tech and the USC games. USC is playing Ohio State — airing on ABC at 7 p.m. Central time Saturday. I am expecting the local station will pre-empt.  Text messages have a good chance of getting through.

Love and peace to all.

And now there is Ike

Okay, here’s the deal. Most of coastal Texas is under mandatory evacuation. Houston is starting to close up shop. Southwest has cancelled our flight – and everything else into and out of Houston. Other airlines closed down even sooner.

The medical center generally and MD Anderson specifically has been very busy canceling appointment. We have no news yet. Probably will not have until Monday or Tuesday, depending on what damage Ike inflicts.

We went to the Natural Science Museum today, and even they were bringing in the butterflies from the Butterfly House.

Where we are is not in danger of storm surge. We are on the fifth floor. North side of the building (Ike is coming from the south). So, we are preparing to “hunker down” for the storm.

The last hurricane I endured was “Bob” in 1985. In that case, I was camped out in some woods in Virginia accompanied by a bunch of Boy Scouts. This time, I am at the Holiday Inn with the love of my life.

You figure it out.

Last iPhone in Lubbock!

Benjamin Strikes it Rich in Grapevine, TX!

 

 

Zombie Love found in Grapevine

It took me nearly 15 years to come full circle and truly define what joy and contentment are for me in a relationship. As I have blogged before, I spent many years denying who I was in order to fit into a society that I did not really believe in. I feel my biggest downfall was to look for love in people who subscribe to this plastic reality that surrounds me. Every time I fell for someone I kept getting that sinking pit in my stomach that I was settling for less than what I wanted or that I somehow had to change and be someone that I am not.

Ultimately I gave up the search and decided to buy a house on my own and just go it alone. By chance I came across a special interest website for networking and dating. I suppose anyone can join but it is primarily for Death Rockers, “Goths” and Punk Rockers. I signed up in an effort to just find people I could connect with in an intellectual level because most of my friends just don’t understand me. After browsing the profiles and chatting with some people, I determined this site to be an enriching experience. On first browsing I passed over a particular profile because of some content that initially came across to me a snotty. Later,

I noticed that this person had viewed my profile too. I decided to take a second look and saw that some content had changed.  The new words hit home, and I knew I had to contact her.

We hit it off quite well, having so much in common. We chatted on AIM, she stalked me on Myspace, and when it came time to talk on the phone we both were a bundle of nerves. After our first conversation, we were convinced that we needed to meet in person. The tone of our next few conversations was to try to figure out how to overcome the physical distance between us and make this meeting happen. She talked about driving out to Lubbock but finding a sitter for her daughter proved difficult. I decided to fly down to DFW, and we found a package on Travelocity that worked so; off to the airport I rushed. When I arrived at the airport once again we were both very nervous. 

It was “Zombie Love” at first bite. After I checked in at the hotel, she took me to Deep Ellum, a district in Dallas that was once teaming with punk rockers but is now a bit run down as the city is rezoning the area into yuppyland.  It was then that I knew I wanted to marry her. I even told her so. There was still much to do and much to learn about one another. 

Ben, Amy and Emily at the Zombie Walk in February

Eight months have passed and we have been spending every other weekend together as well as spending most of our free time together on the phone thanks to unlimited mobile to mobile calling. With certain maters of business behind us I figured it was time to make my move. We drove back down to Deep Ellum to Darkside Club where we had our first date only to find that it was closed for good. In fact all of the punk hangouts in the area are now closed. We decided to go to The Double Wide, another punk and psychobilly hangout on the edge of Deep Ellum. Fortunately they were open, in fact a favorite band of mine was scheduled to play there that night but their van had broken down and the show was canceled. One of the other bands in the line up had just finished playing acoustically in the corner of the bar and were packing out but decided to hang out for a while. 

After a couple of drinks I heard Johnny Cash on the juke box. It was “Ring of Fire” and I got on bended knee and asked her to marry me. With tears of joy in her eyes she accepted my invitation to this eternal journey and a winning team was born. Her name is Amy and she is a joy to know. We haven’t yet hammered out the particulars yet but we will keep you posted.

Nimajneb

iPhone number!

Hey everyone! I just got a new iPhone!   My number is 1 (707) 267 4794.  I get free At&t mobile to mobile, but I don’t know if anyone else uses ATT for their cells.  Anyway, call me up ^_^;

Love,

-Elijah

Life Lately

Aiden shows his crabby friend,

I am done with my course work!!! Yea!!! Now all I have left is to complete my student teaching semester and I will graduate this December! I am so excited. I am planning on getting a summer job to save money for this upcoming semester of poverty.

Lilly and I got to tour her school this Saturday. She got accepted to a new all girls college preparatory school that opens this fall. She is so excited. I think that she was feeling a little anxiety (which should be expected with any move to middle school) – but at our tour she quickly buddied up with the only other girl that was accepted from her current school. I felt reassured too as the superintendent of our district explained that not only did they have the opportunity to select the cream of the crop from the applicant students, but in teachers as well. The school is small, but undergoing renovations and when it is complete, it will be equipped with the latest technology in the district.

At the tour Lilly and the rest of the new student body got to vote on the school’s colors. She voted on the combination of hot pink, black, and silver. Where else but at an all girl’s school?

Aiden is ready for summer! He often inquires about how many days are left in school. He looks forward to spending more time with his Grandma. He often declares how much he misses her. He decided to give her flowers for her birthday – “but you know, the fresh kind that you get at the market.” He also thought jewlery was an appropriate gift for a Grandma – I opted for the first suggestion. He is so insightful.

He is continuing to improve at soccer, though he has told his coach to call him Link. The first time we enrolled him in soccer he had his coaches, other parents, and the referees all convinced that his name was Link. A parent even corrected me once when I addressed him as Aiden. (I guess she didn’t know that I was Mom?? -Whatever) Anyways, the team that he has been playing with for the last year has another Aiden. In fact the two Aiden’s have the same middle name – so at times its confusing.

I have missed some of the games and practices this season because of my intensive school schedule. I was a little surprised when I took Aiden to soccer practice on Friday and heard his coach referring to him as Link. Whatever – he responds to it and the other Aiden doesn’t so I guess problem solved.

Aiden and Lilly have adopted hermit crabs. The four have been named: Clair (aka, Mr. Crabbs) Sushi, Sammy and Meany Me. Yes, it is Meany not Mini. Aiden explained that this crab is mean because it pinches hard. Aiden has been quite upset with me because I won’t by a milk snake or a tarantula. I am so mean. His life is so incomplete. I know because he tells me daily.

Kenneth is excited that I will have more time and energy to contribute to the house work. Who does he think that he married. 

Love,

Jenni

Elijah acknowleged for Web 2.0 contribution

Hey, family, Elijah has his name on an important augmentation to a leading piece of software that is part of “Web 2.0.” Moodle is called a number of things, including “course” software, “collaborative” software, a “content management system.” It is part of the Open Source community.
Call it what you will, it is used at many universities as an online teaching tool. It is also used outside the academy in the corporate world and by some news organizations as an online publishing environment. It is at this stage of Web development an important piece of software.
Elijah and a colleague at Humboldt State have received open recognition for a plug-in they created for Moodle. The plug-in allows users to bring data created in proprietary exam generating software from Respondus into the Moodle environment. You can read about it at the Respondus site.
You can learn more about Moodle at its site.

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