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The Tale of the Swans and El Gato

The Tale of the Swans and El Gato

(KlR) The Water was so warm as I swam in the creek full of minnows and swans. I jumped in the water and…

(KB) the swans started to chant my name. I was in awe of the hospitality & kindness of my new friends.

(CK) I jumped into the pond to swim with the swans. Suddenly, a thunderstorm came into view

(KK) As the storm approached I gathered all the swans to save them.

(JK) Swans being swans, they scattered willy-nilly throughout the park. I gave up and sat down and had a Coors Lite

(DK) The Coors Lite pushed me over the edge, I’m DRUNK. I grabbed my salt gun, put on my shoes, and began the hunt.

(NS) It was so itchy in my bumhole! Suddenly, it was just so itchy!

(AK) Anyway…

(JcR) Then a big gato started crawling out of my bumhole and it started meowing at me. I offered it a Dos X Equis and we chilled on the porch in Uvalde on the Las Nueces River for the next 30 days and we lived happily ever after.

(JsR) The gato started to become unfaithful. I would wait at home for them to come home, praying that they weren’t out on the town preying on the young puss of Uvalde.

(SR) The gato was in fact preying on the young puss of Uvalde…but she was just providing for her young gatos.

(KrR) By morning the gato was found drinking the leftover wine and was super drunk

(KlR) El gato had an intervention, with his feline cousins & Apache who has intervened with his master family and told him to start dipping & smoking cigars and do less drinking & do this.

XBOX Night Revisited

XBOX Night Revisited

Business Card for David to pass out to his friends

From 2006 to 2010 on the first Friday of every month, we hosted XBOX Night at the Kleymeyer’s. I created a wordpress blog to document the night: http://xboxnight.wordpress.com, which is still live as of today.

I have imported it onto my domain and you can view it HERE

You can download a PDF of all posts HERE

Rest in Peace Martha Kleymeyer

Rest in Peace Martha Kleymeyer

You broke the mold for Aunts.  Your family, especially all your nephews and nieces will remember you fondly and miss you tremendously!

MarthaKleymeyer
Martha Ruth Kleymeyer
Evansville, Indiana
Martha Ruth Kleymeyer, 92, passed away peacefully on November 21, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Her final days and months were spent surrounded by her sister, nieces, nephews and friends.Martha (Marty to friends) was born in Evansville, Ind. She earned a BA in Sociology from Mac Murray College, in Illinois, and did her graduate work at the University of Michigan.

After college, Martha’s love of travel and adventure lured her to Houston, Texas, where she lived for over 50 years. There, she applied her degrees and her love of helping those who find hardship in helping themselves while working with the Girl Scouts, YMCA, and the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Family was always the most important part of Martha’s life. She was the first member of her immediate family to permanently move to Texas in the 1950s. Martha’s brothers and sister followed her to Texas in the 60s, where all four siblings and all eight of Martha’s nieces and nephews eventually resided in Austin together.

Martha is survived by her sister, Susan Kleymeyer Rutan; and her nieces and nephews, Marcia Rutan Bulsara, James William Rutan, Lilia Kleymeyer Johnstone, Richard Alan Kleymeyer Jr., Brent Matthew Rutan, Cynthia Kleymeyer Maxwell, Amy Kleymeyer Ramos and Kerry Kleymeyer Riedel; as well as many grand-nieces and nephews; and first cousins Cliff, Chuck and Bob Kleymeyer and Bob Burk.

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, Ralph T. Kleymeyer Sr. and Mildred Seitz Kleymeyer; and her brothers, Ralph T. Kleymeyer, Jr. (Ted) and Richard Alan Kleymeyer Sr.

Most of all, Martha will be remembered by her family as the quintessential aunt. There was rarely a significant event that she missed. Martha was always there to lend an ear and offered any support she was able to provide. She made it a point to spend one-on-one time with each young descendent as they grew, and made each one feel they were special and loved.

Martha will be interred in Evansville, Ind., at her family plot on a date to be determined. Her family would like to express their gratitude to Hospice and the many caregivers at Brookdale Westlake Hills. Any memorial gifts can be directed to Hospice at Brookdale or M.D. Anderson Hospital, of which Martha was a dedicated contributor.

 

 

 

Samsung 55″ TV

Samsung 55″ TV

Samsung_8000Series_55_LED_Curved_2160p_Smart_4K

Staying with Samsung for our 4th Flat Screen TV.

This 55″ 8000 Series LED Curved Smart 4K TV is s beauty!

This will replace our Samsung 47″ downstairs, 47″ goes upstairs in our new renovated playroom.  XBOX One S on it’s way!

Bought it at Best Buy for $999 ($300 off). Hard to believe our first 32″ Samsung was $1299 !

Funny they showed they only had 1 in stock and they couldn’t find it!  Sales guy was looking everywhere following the paper trail.

I walked around a little and found it for them!

Nice to patronize a brick and mortar business with the majority of our home/electronic purchases being ordered online (Amazon)

 

 

Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?

Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?

calvin-arguing

There is nothing wrong with arguing. It’s HOW you argue that matters.

THIS articles spells out why it’s important to teach your kids how to argue

The skill to get hot without getting mad — to have a good argument that doesn’t become personal — is critical in life. But it’s one that few parents teach to their children. We want to give kids a stable home, so we stop siblings from quarreling and we have our own arguments behind closed doors. Yet if kids never get exposed to disagreement, we’ll end up limiting their creativity.

If we rarely see a spat, we learn to shy away from the threat of conflict. Witnessing arguments — and participating in them — helps us grow a thicker skin. We develop the will to fight uphill battles and the skill to win those battles, and the resilience to lose a battle today without losing our resolve tomorrow.

It’s a sign of respect to care enough about someone’s opinion that you’re willing to challenge it.

We can also help by having disagreements openly in front of our kids. Most parents hide their conflicts: They want to present a united front, and they don’t want kids to worry. But when parents disagree with each other, kids learn to think for themselves. They discover that no authority has a monopoly on truth. They become more tolerant of ambiguity. Rather than conforming to others’ opinions, they come to rely on their own independent judgment.

…teaching kids how to have healthy disagreements. We can start with four rules:

• Frame it as a debate, rather than a conflict.

• Argue as if you’re right but listen as if you’re wrong.

• Make the most respectful interpretation of the other person’s perspective.

• Acknowledge where you agree with your critics and what you’ve learned from them.

Sports variety helps kids avoid repetitive use injuries

Sports variety helps kids avoid repetitive use injuries

This appeared in the back page of the Food & Life section of the Austin American Statesman, next to Health & Wellness Wed Oct 15, 2015

Sports variety helps kids avoid repetitive use injuries

Not long ago, seasonal athletics gave kids the option of participating in several different sports over the course of a school year. One athlete who knew that was the smart way to play it was baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson. He was the first athlete in UCLA history to letter in four different sports in one year (track, basketball, football and baseball !).

These days, that’s nearly impossible. Many coaches claim that the only way for a kid to develop into a starter on a varsity team is to be dedicated to only one sport and make a commitment to year-long training. Ironically, that might just make it impossible for your child to play any varsity sport. Here’s why:

Young athletes who specialize in one sport run a 40 percent higher risk of a repetitive or overuse injury, such as stress fracture or tendon damage. Growth plates, areas of developing cartilage, as well as bones, ligaments and tendons, all mature at different rates. So while some parts of the arm might be strong enough for pitching regularly, the elbow joint might not be. Repetitive stress can cause it to develop abnormally and permanently interfere with functioning.

So, if you want your budding athlete to enjoy sports all through school — and as an adult — keep her or him safe from overuse injuries. Limit practice time; change up positions played; make sure your child plays more than one sport every year; take breaks between sports; and make sure fun comes first!

 

Also related; Should kids specialize in one sport 

Career advice from Mike Rowe

Career advice from Mike Rowe

Hey Mike!

I’ve spent this last year trying to figure out the right career for myself and I still can’t figure out what to do. I have always been a hands on kind of guy and a go-getter. I could never be an office worker. I need change, excitement, and adventure in my life, but where the pay is steady. I grew up in construction and my first job was a restoration project. I love everything outdoors. I play music for extra money. I like trying pretty much everything, but get bored very easily. I want a career that will always keep me happy, but can allow me to have a family and get some time to travel. I figure if anyone knows jobs its you so I was wondering your thoughts on this if you ever get the time! Thank you!

– Parker Hall

Here’s Rowe’s genius reply:

Hi Parker,

My first thought is that you should learn to weld and move to North Dakota. The opportunities are enormous, and as a “hands-on go-getter,” you’re qualified for the work. But after reading your post a second time, it occurs to me that your qualifications are not the reason you can’t find the career you want.

I had drinks last night with a woman I know. Let’s call her Claire. Claire just turned 42. She’s cute, smart, and successful. She’s frustrated though, because she can’t find a man. I listened all evening about how difficult her search has been. About how all the “good ones” were taken. About how her other friends had found their soul-mates, and how it wasn’t fair that she had not.

“Look at me,” she said. “I take care of myself. I’ve put myself out there. Why is this so hard?”

“How about that guy at the end of the bar,” I said. “He keeps looking at you.”

“Not my type.”

“Really? How do you know?”

“I just know.”

“Have you tried a dating site?” I asked.

“Are you kidding? I would never date someone I met online!”

“Alright. How about a change of scene? Your company has offices all over – maybe try living in another city?”

“What? Leave San Francisco? Never!”

“How about the other side of town? You know, mix it up a little. Visit different places. New museums, new bars, new theaters…?”

She looked at me like I had two heads. “Why the hell would I do that?”

Here’s the thing, Parker. Claire doesn’t really want a man. She wants the “right” man. She wants a soul-mate. Specifically, a soul-mate from her zip code. She assembled this guy in her mind years ago, and now, dammit, she’s tired of waiting!!

I didn’t tell her this, because Claire has the capacity for sudden violence. But it’s true. She complains about being alone, even though her rules have more or less guaranteed she’ll stay that way. She has built a wall between herself and her goal. A wall made of conditions and expectations. Is it possible that you’ve built a similar wall?

Consider your own words. You don’t want a career – you want the “right” career. You need “excitement” and “adventure,” but not at the expense of stability. You want lots of “change” and the “freedom to travel,” but you need the certainty of “steady pay.” You talk about being “easily bored” as though boredom is out of your control. It isn’t. Boredom is a choice. Like tardiness. Or interrupting. It’s one thing to “love the outdoors,” but you take it a step further. You vow to “never” take an office job. You talk about the needs of your family, even though that family doesn’t exist. And finally, you say the career you describe must “always” make you “happy.”

These are my thoughts. You may choose to ignore them and I wouldn’t blame you – especially after being compared to a 42 year old woman who can’t find love. But since you asked…

Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.
Many people today resent the suggestion that they’re in charge of the way the feel. But trust me, Parker. Those people are mistaken. That was a big lesson from Dirty Jobs, and I learned it several hundred times before it stuck. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you.

Good luck –
Mike

P.S. I’m serious about welding and North Dakota. Those guys are writing their own ticket.

P.P.S. Think I should forward this to Claire?

A dream job isn’t going to bring you happiness, so you shouldn’t “stand in your own way.” Rowe’s sound advice is legendary, and I think it speaks to the fact that welding in North Dakota – or any awesome job – is not what’s truly going to shape the way you feel about the world.

College Lacrosse Coaches prefer multi-sport athletes

College Lacrosse Coaches prefer multi-sport athletes

Click here for article

“These guys have a high level of athleticism but probably haven’t peaked yet as lacrosse players. Once they get to college, they will specialize and will develop and blossom. They usually have a steep growth curve, whereas some of the kids who have been single-sport athletes tend to burn out quicker. Oftentimes, they don’t have as much left in the tank.”

“I really believe multi-sport participation increases the athletic I.Q. of players. Players can work individually on developing skills, but being a member of different teams provides opportunities to develop game instincts that produce more athletic players. There are parallels between certain sports, and we’ll look at a player’s athleticism in another sport and project his potential as a lacrosse player.”