What we're listening to...

Along with barbecue and baseball, we all enjoy music. Mostly rock and blues, and country, and alternative, some jazz, and 80s music, grunge, funk, disco...you get the picture. So, for kicks, here are some songs we're listening to around the house and on our iPods, MP3 players, boom boxes, and car stereos:

Colin - "Beautiful Girls" by Van Halen (Jason is extremely proud of this one); "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Guns 'N Roses; "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Melissa - "Cleveland, Mississippi" by Kenny Wayne Shepherd (that's Melissa with blues guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, far right, and lead singer Noah Hunt backstage before their February concert in Las Vegas); "Astronaut" by G. Love; and "Let Me Drown" by Soundgarden.

Levi (he may be three, but he knows what he likes to listen to) - "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" by the Blues Brothers; "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones; and "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (Levi points out it is from the movie "Wayne's World").

Dylan - "Cold Beverage" by G. Love; "Roadrunner" by Aerosmith; and "Dirty Water" by the Standells.

Carson - "The Funky Chicken" by Rufus Thomas (that's Stax Records, baby); "Tush" by ZZ Top; and "Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys.

Yvonne - "I'm Still a Guy" by Brad Paisley; "That's My Story" by Collin Raye; and "Bad to the Bone" by George Thorogood.

Jason - "Ladies and Gentlemen" by Saliva; "Help, There's a Fire" by Jason & The Scorchers; and "Pinetree Boogie" by The Legendary Shack Shakers.

The cool thing is, we all listen to all the music listed. Sit back, relax, and turn, it, up...

Colin's easy weight loss plan...

Get a haircut.

Our friend Bryan Hoddle in the news

Through our association with Simplot Games over the last decade, we've met some great people: Simplot employees, Olympians, volunteers, and athletes. One of our favorites is Bryan Hoddle, a high school track coach from Washington state who was also the U.S. Paralympic track team coach from 2002-2004. Jason first met Bryan in 1998, when Bryan coached Marlon Shirley, the future Paralympic 100-meter record holder. Since then, Melissa, Colin, and Carson have volunteered at the Games and gotten to know Bryan.

Bryan still coaches high school track, and lately he's also been working with soldiers at Walter Reed Medical Center -- soldiers who lost limbs in battle. It's heroic work, and Bryan is one of the truly under-appreciated coaches in the U.S., in any sport.

In an article in today's Tacoma News Tribune, Bryan was interviewed about Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter who runs on two prosthetic legs and is attempting to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. It's a good read.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/story/363650.html

Knuckleballs and Knuckleheads?

Springtime at our house means kids playing baseball and softball. For 2008, it's been at least five games a week (two for Dylan, three for Colin and Carson) -- and many times up to eight (when Melissa was playing school ball). Jason coaches the two oldest boys, Yvonne makes sure everyone gets to where they are supposed to be (with the stuff they're supposed to be there with), and Levi alternately cheers, eats, plays, sleeps, and runs around with the other younger siblings.

When we're not at the park, we cheer on the Red Sox: Wakefield (the knuckleballer), Pedroia, Manny, Big Papi, Beckett, Tek, Papelbon, Youks, Coco, Dice-K, Jacoby, Lowell, Okajima, and all the rest. When the BoSox aren't playing, we'll cheer for the Angels and anyone playing the Yankees.

When it comes to softball, it's about Las Vegas Rage, the U.S. Olympic team, and pretty much any college team.

That takes care of the knuckleballs -- we've seen and thrown our share. Knuckleheads? That's us. We like to have fun together, listen to good music, eat good food, and hang out with good people.

What else is there?

No more braces!

After two long years (and 24 monthly payments), Melissa gets her braces off. Teeth are smooth and pretty. Tootsie Rolls never tasted so good...