Famille Du Pentium

Besides our late summer trip to Texas, we have a weekend trip to Normal, Illinois.  Justin and Ethan have been invited to participate in the Special Olympics Summer Games at Illinois State University.  We’re going for a weekend in mid-June. 

Of course, what would any trip be without a Google Map?  And the hotel… and pictures, after we return.

We’re going to Dallas, Texas in mid-August for our family vacation.  I’ve just planned out the route and hotels, so as usual I will give my blog readers a look at our plans.

This is a Google Map of our outbound trip. It’s split into two days, Chicago to Springfield, MO and then Springfield to Dallas.  While staying over in Springfield, we’ll stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites.  It’s near Branson, so we’re staying over an extra day and might go check out some funky music.  Once we arrive in Dallas, we’ll stay at a Holiday Inn Express near my cousin’s house.

On the way home, we’ll take basically the same route home, but keep going through Springfield and stop over for our first night at a Holiday Inn in Lebanon, MO.   Then it’s the final leg back to Chicago. 

We spent last Saturday at the Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field, watching the NL Central-leading Cubs play the Pittsburg Pirates.  Unfortunately, they lost the game, but came back the next day and won.  Pictures are gone, which included views from our seats, the family, and a couple from dinner at Bakers Square afterwards.

As some of you know, and now everyone does: last year I bought a project car, a 1963 Chrysler Newport sedan.  It needs body work and a new power steering pump.  We’re (Aaron and I) going to work on it in our “spare” time.

You might see posts here about our progress.  It’ll be slow to start out, but grow as time passes.  Keep an eye on the new “Vintage Car” category if you want to see the latest of what’s going on.   And of course, pictures soon.

Just a quick post – family update:  Aaron is now riding a bike! 

I, like my father before me, have spent many hours behind Aaron, holding his bike steady and running while he pedals down the sidewalk.  But this week, something clicked and he took off on his own.   

We are of course all very proud of Aaron, and I’m sure we’ll soon never see him again  

Aaron’s award winning band performed last week at McCracken Middle School.  Aaron is First Seat Trombone; in most of the videos below you will see him somewhat in the center, either beside or behind the tuba player (depending on the perspective of the video).  These videos were Microsoft format; you would have had to have a compatible Microsoft AVI player installed in order to view them, but now they’re gone.

Last year I reported to you that Aaron won the Sudler Cup Award from the John Philip Sousa Foundation for his work on the school band.  Now we have another award winner in the house.
Ethan has won the Students’ Outstanding Artists Recognition (SOAR) award for his artwork.  This is basically an award by the Village of Skokie Fine Arts Commission, and his artwork will be on display at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts throughout the month of March.

On Monday the 17th, we attended the award reception, where basically 3,000 people stood in a room intended to accomodate 300, and the mayor.  Really though, we are very proud.  

Pictures are now gone.

I guarantee you would have loved the pictures, and I’m sure you’re as proud of Ethan as we are! 🙂

It’s been almost a month ago now, which tells you how busy we’ve been lately at the Humphries-Dolnick household.  But in February, we all went to Monster Jam at the Allstate Arena.  The kids always love it and we all come home smelling like complex hydrocarbons. 

The best part (for you) – I know you’ve all been dying to get some pictures of the kids since last December, so the pictures were HERE. 

Now, they’re gone!

John McCain tonight won Republican primaries in Vermont, Ohio, Texas, Venezuela, and Iran, clinching the Republican nomination for President.

As of now, Obama has locked Vermont.  Clinton has a commanding lead in Ohio, although none of the networks are calling Ohio for her yet because they’re all a bunch of wussies (the networks, not Ohioans).  For the Dems, Texas is too close to call.   It looks like it might be a split across the two big remaining states (Ohio and Texas) – my prediction is that Obama will take Texas and Clinton will take Ohio.  Doing the delegate math in my head, that’ll leave Obama with around 1300 and Clinton with around 1200, a difference of less than 5% between them with 65% of the delegates assigned.

It’s going to be a photo finish for the Dems, that’s for sure.

First, if you’re in a Super Tuesday primary state, I hope you voted.  I did!

Here’s how it’s shaking out.  I’m going to bed soon, so I’m quoting projections from MSNBC.

Illinois: McCain, Obama

McCain: 314 delegates, Romney: 127, Huckabee: 58.  That’s as of 9:00 PM CST, so subject to change.  But it appears that McCain has surged ahead in the Republican positioning.  Take that, Rush Limbaugh – maybe people don’t care what you think anymore.

Clinton: 160 delegates, Obama: 129, Edwards: 26 (didn’t he drop out???).  It’s a close race  here, just 30 minutes ago Obama was ahead in delegate count, until Clinton took NJ. 

States still waiting to report: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Alaska for the Democrats, and Alaska, California, Montana, Colorado, North Dakota, Arizona, and Utah for the Republicans. 

Have a fun night watching returns, if you’re so inclined.  And if, like me, you feel you’ve already done your civic duty by voting and are going to bed early, have a good night.  🙂