Monthly Archives: April 1991

Conduct and Stinger

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Kathy had a teacher conference tonight. Nicole’s homework came home last Friday and Monday without the usual summary of S’s on classwork, conduct, etc. attached to her homework. Nicole told Kathy that Ms. Lindsey had run out of slips. Kathy asked Ms Lindsey about this.

Turns out Nicole had gotten an S- in conduct on Friday and Monday for talking too much with her neighbors. Nicole tore the slips off.

Kathy explained to Nicole that she shouldn’t hide things from Mom and Dad, and that S minuses don’t get her in much trouble. Just an ice cream ban on Fridays. (I didn’t know anything about slips or ice cream bans, but I was able to follow all of this o.k.)

“You should not be afraid to come to me and Dad,” Kathy explained to Nicole. “We are the best friends you could ever have because we will always be here for you whenever you have a problem.”

Kathy noticed that Nicole had big tears coming out of the corner of her eyes. “Why are you crying, Nicole?”

“I don’t know. I’m just so happy!”

* * *

In reading The Hobbit to the kids tonight, we came upon a good scene to re-enact: where the Hobbit finds his courage. Danny played Bilbo, lost in Mirkwood in the dark. He rested against the foot of his bunk-bed-tree, and fell asleep. Nicole, the giant Spider, crept from her hiding place in the bunk-bed-tree, and tied up Danny-Bilbo’s legs with her jump-rope-spider web.

We turned off all the lights in the forest-bedroom.

Bilbo-Danny woke up just in time to feel the sticky jump-rope-web being wrapped around his arm. He jumped up and fell down, discovering his tied legs. Bilbo only fell once, but Danny thought this part was fun enough to get up and fall several times.

Then Bilbo-Danny remembered his sword (Danny’s plastic sword and sheath that was the best buck Santa ever spent.) He drew it and hacked at the Spider-Nicole. Instead of sticking the spider in the eyes, however, Bilbo-Danny was under strict instructions from his wizard-father to gently poke Spider-Nicole in the tummy.

Then Spider-Nicole got to do a fantastic Death Dance which involved jumping and flailing of limbs. She curled up in a terrific ball at Bilbo-Danny’s mortal blow (poke).

Danny then repeated the words of Bilbo to his sword, only where Bilbo named his sword Sting, Danny chose to name his Stinger.

We didn’t get far, but it was a lot of fun.

You see, I learned on 20/20 from this fun-loving, fun-learning teacher that when reading to kids, it isn’t important to get to the end of the story. And here I’ve been worrying about getting to the end since Christmas.

Cubcake

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Danny and I spent the day together while Kathy worked and Nicole was spending the weekend with Lauren and her grandmother.

ninjas-in-ghost.pngWhile putting the vacuum away after cleaning up the blueberries he spilled on the carpet, Danny found two pieces of chalk in the closet. He drew some teenage ninja turtles in a ghost.

He told Kathy that when he becomes a cub scout that he is going to be a Cubcake just like Nicole is a Brownie.

Model Children

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Nicole is spending the weekend with Lauren at her grandmother’s. Last night Danny spent the night with Mom and Dad. Mom says he was a model child.

The model child is now taking a nap after having a fit over not making up his bed. Sort of a twist: “You haven’t made your bed, so now you’re going to lie in it.”

Kathy and I went to see Edward Scissorhands. We invited Ted and 20-year-old Grant. We all agreed it was a nice fairy tale. We all shared a Dr. Pepper and a popcorn.

We then drove around Atlanta debating about sneaking Grant into a bar when he has a license that says in big red letters: “UNDER 21.” I didn’t want to go through the hassle of being hassled, so we drove around which drove Grant crazy. We went and saw Ted’s current project, 90 foot columns that will support the 400 extension over some of the nicest real estate in Atlanta. It looked like a bridge going through a valley, only not crossing from side to side, but going between the sides. What a mess.

Kathy and I dropped off Grant and Ted at Ted’s place. Richard, Ted, and Grant all stood at the window watching me go back and forth in his driveway trying to pick up speed to back out on to Shallowford. Kathy laughed harder than I’ve heard her laugh in a long time at this.

We then went to Winn Dixie and bought some eggs.

Dragon In A Cup

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Caught an Anole outside Phil Brown’s office after work. After searching all of R&D with the lizard caught in my hands, Phil ran upstairs and got a coffee cup with a lid.

Nicole, Lauren, and Danny were playing on the corner when I drove home. I rolled down the window and handed them the cup. Nicole peeked in one of the tiny holes in the lid, keeping her face at a safe distance. “Is it a bug?”

Lauren took the cup, and put her eye right up to the lid. “It’s a small snake!”

Danny took the cup, held one eye closed with his finger and thumb, and put his other eye as close to the lid as possible. “It’s a dragon snake!” he declared.

The green lizard is now sleeping it off in our ficus tree downstairs.

Today is Gammie’s birthday. We called her and had a long chat. I happened to have a MacRecorder hooked up, so I grabbed some excerpts.

Cute Girl

Really?

My Gosh!

Nice Night

Letter from Iraq

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[From Brian Zahn across the border from Iraq.]

15 March

Dear Myra,

Received your tape the other day and I just want you to know how much I appreciate it. Thanks to you and everyone involved. It was really great to hear from the old school buddies. Since I don’t have the addresses for everyone on the tape please pass on to them that this old soldier was really touched. You may have heard that mail takes a while to get to us over here (38 days for your tape) so in case you think I had forgotten or neglected to respond that’s the reason.

I’m doing very well but really looking forward to getting home. My unit is part of the 1st Infantry Division or more affectionately known as the Big Red One. You may have seen or heard about us in the news but suffice it to say we led the attack into the Iraqi flank demolishing 3 entire Republican Guards Divisions.

We fought continuously for 5 days (well, 10 really but you guys weren’t supposed to know that we were in contact 5 days before the war really started) with no sleep. We only stopped to rearm, refuel, and reorganize. That was really the key to our success- we kept them off guard once the attack began. My battalion alone (about 1165 Infantry and armor soldiers with 60 tanks and Bradleys) was credited with destroying 2 Iraqi regiments (about 4000 enemy soldiers, 150 tanks and 100 armored personnel carriers).

I missed out on the last day of the Battle as I was slightly wounded and MEDEVAC’ed to a Combat Hospital. It’s a long story but they were going to send me back to the States. But I would have no part of that. I told the Doc to patch me up and I commandered a chopper back to the front line. I rejoined my unit just in time to attack and secure SAFWAN airfield- that’s where GEN Schwartzkopf presented the ultimatum to the Iraqi’s.

Please tell Don, Carey, Jewel (Congrats to the newlywed- wish I could have been there!), Kathy (thanks so much for the help with the tape),

Brad, Dave, Krista, Vicky, Jeb and Edwan and Sue (hope I didn’t forget anyone!) that I will write them as soon as I can get their addresses. I understand that the support for this thing back home is just overwhelming and your thoughtfullness is just one example. You truly have reason to be proud of your country, the men and women who served over here, and those at home who gave their time and effort in support.

I believe Desert Storm has demonstrated what we in the military have known for years but have had no opportunity to prove… that no army, navy, or airforce in the world is a match for ours; especially when we have the kind of political and social support we had in this war. For this, at least on behalf of the 1165 soldiers under my control, I’d like to thank all of you.

I don’t know exactly when we’ll be coming home. Right now it looks like at least two more months. We are holding the line of demarkation until the peace treaty is signed and then we have to clean up all of our equipment and wait for an airplane.

Well, gotta go. Thanks again for all you have done. I miss all of you and hope to see you soon. Maybe we can all get back together in Athens and, like Carey said “Reopen the 4th Quarter”.

Your Classmate and Lifelong Friend,

Brian

P.S. I also received your letter w/ the photos- thanks again! As I was telling Connie before I left home, the only thing that can bring a soldier closer to home than a letter is a picture or a tape.

P.P.S.- Hope you enjoyed the little souvenir of Iraq!

Myra copied all of us this letter, but kept the souvenir sand for herself!

Going Back To Saturn

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SATURN

Stevie Wonder / Mike Sembello

©1976

Packing my bags- going away

To a place where the air is clean

On Saturn

There’s no sense to sit and watch people die

We don’t fight our wars the way you do

We put back all the things we use

On Saturn

There’s no sense to keep on doing such crimes

There’s no principles in what you say

No direction in the things you do

For your world is soon to come to a close

Through the ages all great men have taught

Truth and happiness just can’t be bought- or sold

Tell me why are you people so cold

I’m…

Going back to Saturn where the rings all glow

Rainbow, moonbeams and orange snow

On Saturn

People live to be two hundred and five

Going back to Saturn where the people smile

Don’t need cars cause we’ve learned to fly

On Saturn

Just to live to us is our natural high

We have come here many times before

To find your strategy to peace is war

Killing helpless men, women and children

That don’t even know what they’re dying for

We can’t trust you when you take a stand

With a gun and bible in your hand

And the cold expression on your face

Saying give us what we want or we’ll destroy

I’m…

Going back to Saturn where the rings all glow

Rainbow, moonbeams and orange snow

On Saturn

People live to be two hundred and five

Going back to Saturn where the people smile

Don’t need cars cause we’ve learned to fly

On Saturn

Just to live to us is our natural high

Venus by Nicole

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VENUS

by Nicole Cashin

March 13, 1991

ellian-from-venus.pngI live on the planet Venus.

I left Earth becuse it was trashy.

One day I woke up on Venus the planet had bubble trees. I saw an Ellian at a beach. She had an upside down nose, it had six mouths, it had one ear. She was my friend. Her name was Wierd-Mouth. I put my face inside a bubble when it poped I could fly. I felt pretty good. The ocean was full of candy. There are lots of milkshake flowers. I lived in a ginger bread house you could eat. I had the best time I’ve ever had.

The sand was real colorful. The trees had one-hundred dollar bills. I was very rich. I went to mcdonalds for ice-cream. Then we went to the park. It was real hot so we went to the beach. I ate lot’s of candy it was amazing I didn’t get sick. I had lot’s of friends. I liked it.

Then I went home and played in my pool. The pool had lot’s of cakes. Then I picked Milk Shakes. I picked strawbarry, choclate, banana. They were good. I’m never going to earth again.

The End

Save the Book

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[Nicole writes…]

I went on spring break I went to the movie theater I saw the never ending story was good it’s about a boy who goes in a story book and saves the book.

Nutty Crowd

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My ears hurt and my left teeth hurt.

intials-and-pins.pngLast night Kathy and I, Ted and Nancy, and Bennett and Alice went bowling. Ted has his own ball and his own shoes. The rest of us rented and agreed that we would like to own a pair of bowling shoes just to wear.

My first warm up was a strike. That was the end of my accurate bowling. Each couple bought one round.

Ted won with 123 and Alice just behind with 122. It pays to have your own ball and shoes. Alice was tickled because she had never done better than 100. Bennett followed with a 110 and Nancy with 88. Kathy and I both scored 52. Isn’t that cute. Oh well…

The bad company of six all climbed into the Butker’s Suburu Party Wagon and went to Taco Mac. We had a good time laughing and trying to out shout one another. At one point, Alice, Nancy, and Kathy all climbed head first into the basketball machine to steal balls for us to shoot with. My one shot landed on top of the net-covered machine. We had to move the machine to climb up and get the ball down. I’m sure our waitress, Carla, was delighted with our behavior. (“What a nutty crowd. They each order only one beer and go nuts!”)

I carved Kathy and my initials in the top of the table (where many others words had been carved.) Somewhere in the middle of the exchange, the phrase “casual breast” came up. Kathy thought that was particularly funny. Rules are rules.

Now let’s see… how much of Nicole and Danny’s college fund did we use up?

Shoes:     1.50  x  2   =   3.00

Lane:      2.50  x  2   =   5.00

Pitcher:                    5.75

Taco Mac:                  32.15

Cash from group:          -13.00*

Summer:                    10.00

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Total                      42.90

*(Yes, I should have collected more.)

Seems like there are cheaper ways to make your ears and left teeth hurt.

FedEx to Disney

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fedex-folder-idea.png

Mr. Fredrick W. Smith

President

Federal Express Corporation

P.O. Box 727

Memphis, TN 38194

Dear Mr. Smith,

I have three problems that I thought you could solve.

The first is that I send and receive a great deal of paper work in your Overnight Letter package. We at Harland have been recycling for almost a year, but your packages have plastic on them making the used package ineligible for the recycling bins.

The second problem is that I never have enough manilla envelopes to keep all my papers organized.

So enclosed is an idea that I thought you might like. If you do like this idea, I’ll sell it to you for a small fee.

Which comes to my third problem. Kathy and I and our two kids have never been to Disney World together. I’ll trade you my idea for four round trip tickets to Disney Word (including lodging.) Maybe we could fly on one of your planes.

Please let me know what you think.

Sincerely,

Jeb Cashin

Product Manager